One For Each Other
by MagicMovieNerd
Summary: Two years after their first "real" adventure, the Three Amigos meet 3 out-of-work showgirls who all dream of becoming Hollywood stars. So the amigos try to help them achieve their goals, but obstacles stand in the way - especially if one of them is El Loco, the younger brother of the late El Guapo, who seeks revenge on the 3 men...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Three Familiar Faces**

 **Mexico, 1918**

In the hot Mexican desert, we see three men on horseback. All of them were dressed in sparkling black and white vaquero outfits with red cravats around their necks and matching sashes around their waists; on their heads were fancy black sombreros with silver designs on them. One man had white-colored hair, hazel eyes, and thick, black eyebrows; on his hat was a pattern of lucky horseshoes, so he was aptly named Lucky Day. The second man was named Dusty Bottoms, who had sandy brown hair and brown eyes, and on his hat were eagles with open wings. And the third man, Ned Nederlander, had wavy auburn hair and green eyes; on his hat were patterns of flowers, each of them with four large petals.

These men were none other than the Three Amigos, a trio of Hollywood actors-turned-heroes who wandered freely for two years since they were banished from Hollywood. What happened was they talked back to the hot-tempered Harry Flugleman, the owner of Goldsmith Pictures who didn't tolerate box office failures in his movies; soon after, the amigos were called to the Mexican village of Santa Poco, believing that they were going to do a movie with the "in-famous" El Guapo. But the amigos soon discovered that fighting El Guapo and his men was a real deal, so the three movie stars decided that it was time to become real heroes and face El Guapo. With a little help from the villagers of Santa Poco, the Three Amigos defeated the villainous Mexican bandit and his men, and eventually decided to live like travelling heroes with no home.

On this particular day, Lucky, Dusty and Ned were doing the favorite pastime while riding their horses: singing.

 **All:** _One for each other, and all for one!_  
 _The Three Brave Amigos are we!_  
 _Brother to brother, and everyone!_  
 _A brave amigo!_  
 _Wherever they need us,_  
 _Our destiny leads us!_  
 _Amigos, we're always together!_  
 _Wherever we go,_  
 _We're three brave amigos,_  
 _And amigos we'll stay forever!_  
 _We are the Three Amigos,_  
 _We are the Three Amigos,_  
 _We are the Three Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmigos!_  
 _And amigos forever we'll be!_

The amigos were about to finish their song with another high note, when something caught their eyes. Quickly, they all signaled their horses to stop and saw what struck them. It was a signpost on the side of the trail that read:

 _ **Hector's Cantina – Turn Right!**_  
 _ **Enjoy handcrafted drinks by Hector and his wife, Margarita!**_  
 _ **Showing Tonight: The Three Amigas! The loveliest showgirls to travel the west! Tonight only!**_

The three men stared long and hard at that signpost. Finally, Lucky asked, "Boys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"Yeah," Dusty answered with a smile, "I think Hector and Margarita might make some killer drinks!"  
"No!" said Lucky, "Look at that announcement underneath that part. Three Amigas?"  
"You know," Ned stated with a sly grin, "I haven't been with a decent girl since…"  
"No!" said Lucky, who was beginning to frown, "Doesn't that group name sound familiar? I mean, Amigas and Amigos? Just who would dare plagiarize us, WHO WOULD DARE?!"  
"I don't know," answered Dusty. Ned shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, indicating that he didn't know, either.  
"Guys, we're going to get to the bottom of this," Lucky continued with a smirk, "And we're going to find those evil sorceresses who plagiarized us and let the Three Amigos bring them to justice!"  
Ned became concerned that his friend may have been going a bit far. He asked, "Lucky, are you sure this is the best solution?"  
"Of course!" replied Lucky, "It's off to that cantina for us! We've got some plagiarism issues to settle!" With that, he ordered his men to mount their horses and make their way to Hector's Cantina.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - The Cantina**

After about ten minutes of travelling, the Three Amigos came to a brown-colored wooden shack – Hector's Cantina – and then dismounted their horses as they made their way inside. Upon entering, all the clients in the bar stopped what they were doing and stared at the amigos. "Is this going to be like the one time?" asked Dusty. He remembered how two years ago, he, Lucky and Ned entered a different bar and everyone looked them in awe.  
"I don't know," Ned answered.  
"Okay," Lucky instructed, "Remember to act casual." He and the others simultaneously took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then they walked up to the main bar table.

Coming from the back room, a middle-aged Hispanic man went behind the counter, not noticing the amigos until he looked at a mirror behind some bottles. He turned around, looked at the three men and asked, "Excuse me, are you those…"  
The amigos all chuckled and Lucky answered, "Yes. We are those… amigos."  
The bartender turned his head and called out, "Margarita! Come here, it's the men I've told you about!"  
"Hector, are you sure about this?" called the voice of a Hispanic woman, "You'd better not be tricking me this time!"  
"I'm sure as there's dirt on the ground!" Hector replied.  
Just then, a middle-aged Hispanic woman came running out from the back room to see what was going on. She gasped in amazement when she saw the Three Amigos.  
"I should've known we were popular all over Mexico," Lucky whispered.  
"Yeah," Ned whispered back, "Ever since before we put our movie days behind us!"  
"So, the Three Amigos, eh?" the woman asked as she held out her hand, "My name is Margarita, and this bartender is my husband, Hector. We run this place, and we are honored to have you great heroes stopping in!"  
Dusty took Margarita's hand and kissed it, answering, "The pleasure is ours, er, senorita."  
"It's senora," Margarita corrected, "Now, can we get you boys anything to drink? We have plain old tequila, or some recipes of mine, including our Tequila sunrise and my personal favorite, 'Margarita's Special!'"  
"Personally, I would recommend the tequila sunrise," whispered Hector. Margarita just gave her husband a stern look.

The amigos looked at each other and thought about what to have. "Why don't we stick with the special?" suggested Ned, "Because the woman said that it was her favorite, and I don't want to upset her."  
"I think so, too," said Lucky. He then looked at Margarita and Hector and said, "While we wait, we'll have three Margarita's Specials, Margarita!"  
Margarita began mixing the drinks while Hector asked the amigos, "What are you three waiting for, I wonder?"  
"The show tonight," answered Lucky, "We want to see the Three Amigas perform."  
"You know, the show starts in about an hour and fifteen minutes," answered Hector, "So I hope you gringos don't get drunk with too many of Margarita's specials."  
Lucky looked around and saw a nearby piano. "I don't think getting drunk with Margarita's drinks is going to happen," he told Hector, "And I think my friends and I will just stick to calling these drinks plain margaritas."  
Margarita gave the amigos their drinks and said, "That is a great idea! Let's name this drink after me. From this day forward, the drink I am serving you hombres will now be called 'margaritas!'"

Everyone in the tavern cheered as the Three Amigos began to enjoy their drinks. "Well, boys," said Lucky, "Here's to a few wonderful drinks, having friends like you, and for a good show later!"  
"Cheers!" the amigos all said in unison while they clinked their glasses.  
They guzzled a little bit of liquid down, and then Ned said, "I'd like to do a little constructive criticism on this drink. It's not bad, but I think people would like it better if maybe the liquid was blended with fine chunks of ice."  
"And maybe a little salt on the rims of the glasses, too?" added Dusty.  
Margarita was about to say something when Ned added, "But all in all, they're still pretty good!"  
"Excelente!" said Margarita, "A positive review from the Three Amigos!"

When the amigos finished drinking, Lucky looked at the piano in the room. "Boys," he told his fellow amigos, "I think this place needs a little pre-entertainment before those amigas arrive. Dusty, go over to that piano."  
Dusty laughed and said, "I dunno, Lucky, I thought we left our entertaining careers behind us a long time ago."  
"Aw, come on," insisted Lucky. Dusty eventually gave in and walked over to sit at the piano. Lucky then announced to everyone, "Okay, we know that we're no longer Hollywood stars, but we'd like to give you a little entertainment before the Three Amigas arrive to give you the real entertainment!"  
"Are we going to sing what I think we're going to sing?" Ned asked Lucky.  
"Abso-tively posi-lutley!" answered Lucky, "Maestro!"  
Dusty played a little opening melody on the piano while Lucky and Ned danced and sang:

 _My little buttercup_  
 _Has the sweetest smile!_  
 _Dear, little buttercup,_  
 _Won't you stay a while?_

Lucky and Ned danced towards a few tables and showed off their moves as they kept singing:

 _Come with me where moonbeams paint the sky!_  
 _And you and I might settle in the sweet by-and-by!_  
 _Oh, dear little buttercup,_  
 _With your eyes so blue!_  
 **Lucky:** _Oh, little buttercup!_  
 _You're a dream come true!_

Lucky put a white dish towel on top of Ned's head to make it look like a bridal veil as they kept singing:

 _You and I will settle down in a cottage built for two!_  
 _Dear little buttercup, I love you!_

Ned then took the "veil" off his head, and Lucky shouted, "EVERYBODY!"

 **Lucky and Ned:** _My little buttercup_  
 _Has the sweetest… (point to a client)_  
 **Client:** _Smile!_  
 **Lucky and Ned:** _Dear little buttercup,_  
 _Won't you stay a…_  
 **Margarita:** _While!_  
 **Lucky and Ned:** _You and I will settle down in a cottage built for two!_  
 **Clients:** _DEAR!_  
 **Lucky and Ned:** _Little buttercup!_  
 **Clients:** _SWEET!_  
 **Lucky and Ned:** _Little Buttercup! (point to Hector)_  
 **Hector:** _My little buttercup!_  
 **Lucky and Ned:** _I love you!_

When they finished, Lucky and Ned went over to Dusty at the piano and smiled big. After a short period of silence, all the clients cheered and clapped for the Three Amigos! Suddenly, the whole room went dark, except for a spotlight that shone on a small nearby stage that was covered by red curtains. Then, an American male voice announced, "Thank you, Amigos! Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready for the greatest show of all time. Feast your eyes upon the most beautiful ladies to ever travel the Wild West! Let me present to you, the Three Amigas!" Everyone, including the amigos, turned their attention to that stage as the red curtains pulled back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Enter the Three Amigas**

When the curtains were all pulled back, there appeared three young women on the stage. They were all dressed in sparkling knee-cut showgirl dresses, elbow-length gloves, headpieces with white feathers in their hair, chokers and beaded necklaces around their necks, stockings, and high heel boots. One woman was dressed in red and pink, and she had dirty shaded blonde hair styled in a low bun and green eyes; another woman was dressed in purple and lavender, and she had strawberry blonde hair that was also tied in a low bun and blue eyes; the third woman was dressed in green, and she had chocolate brown hair with thick curls and brown eyes. "Good evening!" the women said in unison.  
The girl in red stepped forward and said, "I'm Angel Wings!"  
The girl in green stepped forward and said, "I'm Kitty Katzenberg!"  
The girl in purple stepped forward and said in a French accent, "I'm Cecile LaFleur!"  
"And together, we're the Three Amigas!" the women announced in unison.

In the audience, Lucky had a lovestruck look in his eyes when he saw Angel Wings, but he shook his head to mutter, "You think you can fool Lucky Day? Well, you're sadly mistaken!"  
Dusty shushed him and looked at Cecile LaFleur. "A Moulin Rouge showgirl-wannabe, here," he thought.  
Ned looked at Kitty Katzenberg with a smug and loving smile on his face. "She sure is hot," he said to himself.  
Meanwhile, on the stage, Angel Wings announced, "Our first number we'll do for you is a classic square dance song from back in the United States!"  
"But we highly recommend you don't grab a partner and dance all over the place," Kitty suggested, "Because we don't want any accidents happening!"  
"Oui," said Cecile, "But now, let us dance and sing for you – Turkey in the Straw!"  
A nearby band began to play on the fiddle, drums and piano while Kitty danced and Angel and Cecile sang:

 _As I was goin' down the road,_  
 _With a tired team and a heavy load,_  
 _I cracked my whip and the leader sprung,_  
 _And I said good-bye to the wagon tongue!_  
 _Turkey in the straw,_  
 _Turkey in the hay,_  
 _Turkey in the straw,_  
 _What do you say?_  
 _Funniest thing I ever saw,_  
 _Here's a little tune called_  
 _Turkey in the Straw!_

Lucky tried to put on his best angry face, but he couldn't help but be mesmerized by Angel's singing and dancing. Dusty began to clap his hands to the beat, but Lucky stopped him, whispering, "These girls are thieves, remember?"  
Ned, on the other hand, was watching Kitty play the tambourine and dance, but he wondered why the girl in green didn't sing along.  
Back on the stage, Angel and Cecile kept singing:

 _Well I went out to milk, but I didn't know how,_  
 _I milked the goat instead of the cow,_  
 _A monkey sittin' on a pile of straw,_  
 _Winkin' an eye at his mother-in-law!_

Just as the two girls began to sing the chorus, one Hispanic man shouted, "A monkey? Monkeys don't live on el rancho!"  
Kitty heard that remark and snapped, "It's not a real monkey! The man in the song is referring to himself as a monkey!"  
"Kitty, just ignore them!" Angel whispered. Then she and Cecile kept singing:

 _Turkey in the straw,_  
 _Turkey in the hay,_  
 _Turkey in the straw,_  
 _What do you say?_  
 _Funniest thing I ever saw,_  
 _Here's a little tune called_  
 _Turkey in the Straw!_

A different Hispanic man picked up a tomato and shouted, "You lupitas are singing muchos disparates!" With that said, he threw his tomato at the girls, only to miss by about ten inches! Now, no one knows why or how it happened, but the next thing to occur was Angel losing her temper and charging towards that man! Cecile and Kitty tried to intervene, but Angel had already punched the man in face; he was about to strike back, but the women ran away, so the man accidentally punched the first man to make a comment, instead!

The Three Amigos saw the action, and Lucky said, "I think's somebody's been in here with an ugly stick!"  
"Hey, that was my line!" said Dusty.  
"Never mind!" Ned told his friends, "I think those guys are gonna get us involved, too!" At his words, a client punched Ned in the nose, knocking him off his chair. In a matter of seconds, chairs were being thrown, innocent amigos were punched and kicked, and eventually, Hector and Margarita decided to exit their bar from a hidden door by their drinks.  
"This neighborhood is getting too rough," Hector told his wife when they left their cantina.  
"Well, you know," remarked Margarita, "You should have listened to me when I said that I wanted to set up the bar in that other town! Mama was right about you being so ignorante!"

After about ten minutes of brawling, the clients became tired of beating each other up and the riot ended. Lucky, Dusty and Ned wearily left the bar with a few minor injuries; Lucky had a small black eye, Dusty had a small scrape on his left hand, and Ned's nose had just finished bleeding from the inside. "Well, that's just great!" Lucky said angrily, "First we get plagiarized, and now we're standing here after a big fight that happened for no apparent reason!"  
"I think I know why," said Ned as he coughed a little bit, "I think that blonde woman in red was fed up with some guys humiliating her so she just lost it! Has that ever happened to you guys?"  
Lucky calmed down a bit, took a deep breath, and said, "I think you may be right, Ned. But I still don't think that plagiarizing is an excuse to get angry."

Meanwhile, back in the cantina, the three women were talking with their manager, Matt Azhell; he was a large, angry American man who had brown hair with a matching mustache and sapphire blue eyes. He also had on a purple suit with a black belt, gray pants, white socks and black shoes. "You ladies have really done it this time!" he shouted angrily, "I've been hearing clients complain of you singing this song, and one guy even threw a tomato at you. And you know what? The customer is ALWAYS right!"  
"We didn't mean to cause harm, monsieur," said Cecile meekly, "We are just not used to seeing Mexican people react this way our songs."  
"Yeah," added Kitty, "Back in the Baja Peninsula, everyone loved our songs!"  
Angel looked around nervously and said, "Mr. Azhell, I must take the blame for this. I shouldn't have blown up like a volcano and punched that man."  
"Of course not!" replied Matt, "Angel, you almost got me and your girlfriends arrested! Well, we would've been arrested if there were any coppers around. But what am I saying? I think I'm a little ahead of my time to be talking of things like these!" He turned around and muttered to himself, "What did I ever deserve to be the manager of those three ne'er-do-wells? They're ruining my career, and I've got to get rid of them!"  
"What is he saying over there?" Cecile whispered to Kitty.  
"I don't know," Kitty replied, "Something about being the manager of some ne'er-do-wells. Wait! I think he means…"  
"You girls have caused me enough trouble!" Mr. Azhell said as he turned around to face the women again, "This time I won't be so merciful. Gimme those costumes and change into something more suitable! You're all fired!"  
"But, Mr. Azhell, we can do better!" Angel protested.  
"Too late!" said Matt, "Now go!" At his words, the three women sadly walked away and into their caravans to change clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Amigos Meet Amigas**

Soon after, the Three Amigas were outside their caravan, dressed in casual dresses. Angel was wearing a red dress with burgundy ribbons and a matching bow on her bodice, along with a white, long-sleeved chemise under her dress, and a pink choker around her neck; her hair was also done in a half-back. Cecile was wearing a lavender and white dress, a white pearl necklace, and her hair was still in a low bun, only she was now wearing a purple headband instead of her showgirl headpiece. Kitty was wearing a green and white dress with a matching headband, and a golden locket around her neck.

Just then, a man stuck his head out of a caravan door and shouted to the girls, "And Mr. Azhell says he never wants to see either of you ever again!" With that, he slammed the door shut, and the caravan drove off.  
"Thanks a lot, angel!" Kitty said angrily, "Now we don't have any way to bring home the bacon because of you!"  
"Hey!" snapped Angel, "Don't put the whole blame on me! It was all those clients' faults for humiliating me!"  
"Alright, alright," said Cecile as she put her hands up to calm the two down, "Why don't we forget this whole thing, si vous plais? We shall keep travelling down this road until we find something suitable for us!" She pointed to a long trail to her right side. However, she noticed three familiar figures dressed in black vaquero outfits on horseback.  
"Are those men who I think they are?" Angel asked when she saw the amigos riding down that trail.  
"What do you mean?" asked Kitty.  
"You see," replied Angel, "I remember back when I was living in California, I used to go the movies and see movies from the Three Amigos. I think those men just might be them!" She then gave her friends a thoughtful smile, indicating that she had a plan.

Meanwhile, the amigos kept on riding when they heard women shouting, "EXCUSE US! AMIGOS!" Lucky, Dusty and Ned simultaneously turned their heads as they ordered their horses to stop.  
"It's those girls from the cantina!" said Dusty.  
"Maybe they've come to confess that they love us!" Ned said ecstatically; he was deeply in love with Kitty.  
"Don't be ridiculous, Ned," muttered Lucky. Then he said, "Come on, boys!" He and the other amigos dismounted their horses and walked towards the girls, who picked up their skirts and ran towards them. "Did you girls call us?" Lucky asked.  
"Of course we did!" said Angel, "We just got fired from our jobs, and we want to start anew."  
 _Fired from their jobs, huh?_ Lucky thought, _No wonder._  
"We were wondering if maybe you men would help us," added Cecile, who was fixating her eyes on Dusty.  
Dusty rolled his eyes and asked, "What do you need help with, exactly?"  
"We want to find jobs!" said Angel with enthusiasm, "We heard you boys are famous movie stars. Is that true?"

All the amigos became dumbfounded. It had been two years since they were fired by Harry Flugleman from Hollywood, and they began to live as their famous amigo characters for real. Lucky was about to admit that they weren't stars anymore, but then he got nervous and lied, "Um, yes! My amigos and I, uh, are travelling showmen, too! And I wanted to let you girls know about your act of plagiarism!"  
Angel raised a brow and asked, "Plagiarism? What are you talking about?"  
Lucky explained, "We had the name, 'Three Amigos' first, and I think you girls stole it from us to pass off as amigas – female vaqueros who fight for justice – is that right?"  
"Look," said Angel, "I don't think you understand. 'Amigo' means 'friend.' 'Amiga' is the female form of that word. So no, we are not vaqueras. We are just plain showgirls – well, we used to be, anyway."

Lucky kept looking at Angel with a suspicious look; he wasn't so sure he should trust these women. The awkward silence was interrupted when Kitty asked Lucky and Dusty, "What's wrong with your friend? He's staring at me in a very creepy way." And she was right – Ned had a lovestruck smile on his face, and he couldn't quit looking at Kitty.  
"You're really hot," Ned remarked to Kitty.  
"Shut up!" said Kitty, "I don't care for guys who only appreciate how I look, you know."  
"Well," Angel said to Lucky, "Since you guys are famous Hollywood stars, maybe my friends and I could get jobs at Hollywood to become famous movie stars?"  
"Hmmm," said Dusty, rubbing his chin, "This seems like a tall order…"  
"We'll do it!" said Ned, who was trying to impress Kitty.  
"Magnifique!" said Cecile, "We must be on our ways at once!"  
Kitty stepped towards the amigos and said, "Alright. If you guys can help us start a new life, we're with you to the end." Upon hearing this, Ned began to feel his heart beat twice as fast. He smiled a smug smile, but Kitty just glared at him.  
Angel thought long and hard about this decision. She had kind of a dislike towards Lucky, but she wanted her friends to be happy. So she finally joined her friends, and the amigos, stating, "All right, we'll do this. But I want absolutely no tricks played on us! Understand?"  
"Yes," the amigos said in unison. They motioned for the girls to get on their horses, and then held the reins to guide the pack animals down the trail.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Questions and Small Towns**

After about twenty minutes of walking, the amigos became tired of dragging the girls on horses, so they decided it would be best for them to ride horseback, while the women guided the horses. When Angel heard this, she said, "Walk across the desert in these long skirts?! I don't think so."  
"Come on," said Lucky, "When we find the nearest village, I'll buy some more horses!"  
"Yeah," said Dusty, "We just have to figure out-" His sentence was cut off when Lucky shoved him in the ribs.  
"As I was saying," said Lucky, "Um, we just need to figure out… how to find horses!" He didn't want to admit that he and his friends were a tad bit short on pesos, and that the amigas would have to pay for everything.  
"All right," said Kitty as she dismounted the horse she was on, "We'll give you guys a break. But remember what Angel said about tricking us!" She motioned for her friends to dismount and let the amigos ride the horses.

Soon, the women guided the horses while the men rode on the horses. As they rode, Ned looked lovingly at Kitty, but she pretended not to see him. Cecile asked Kitty worriedly, "Kitty, is something wrong? It seems you don't care for that for the man with wavy auburn hair."  
Kitty sighed and said, "I don't know, Cecile. I've seen men like him – guys who are only after me for how I look, and I don't appreciate that. That's why my father was about the only man who truly cared about the person I am." She lowered her head and felt like crying. Ned saw her feeling sad, so he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a clean cloth. Then he handed it to Kitty, asking if she needed it. "No thanks, but thank you, anyway," Kitty replied.  
"You see," Ned said to himself as he put the cloth back into his pocket, "I care about her."  
Lucky saw that act of kindness and commented, "You know, Ned, I think it takes more than just a little act of generosity to win her heart. You gotta show talent, and sentiment, and something more."  
"I know," said Ned, "Trouble is, she's kinda a tough cookie for a damsel."  
"She's also no Dorothy Gish," said Lucky. He remembered a story that Ned told him and Dusty from when Ned was a child actor known as "Little Neddie." Actress Dorothy Gish came to visit Little Neddie on the set of one of his movies and told him what a great star he was. No one quite knows what happened after that, but Ned most likely fell in love with Dorothy.

About half an hour later, the amigos and amigas arrived at a small Mexican town. "We'll stop here so that we can get extra horses, water, something to eat, and maybe a place to stay for the night," said Lucky.  
"Good," Dusty said as he put his hand on his stomach, "Because I haven't had anything to eat in three whole hours!" The women all looked at him as if they saw barnacles growing on his face. "What?" Dusty asked.  
After everyone dismounted their horses and settled on the ground, they walked around, looking for a restaurant, a hotel, and a stable. Citizens of the village stopped what they were doing and looked around at the new visitors. Whispers came from everyone. "Are those the Three Amigos?"  
"Are those the Three Amigas?"  
"What are these two trios doing together?"  
Finally, one woman came up to the amigos and amigas. "Are you men the Three Amigos?" she asked.  
The men all looked at her, then at each other before they finally said, "Yes."  
"Oh, I have heard wonderful stories about you three," replied the woman, "Starring in movies and then travelling across Mexico to face real banditos! My name is Socorro, and I welcome you brave men to the town of Los Flores!"  
"Yes, well do you know of any place around here were my friends and three guests can stay at a cheap price?" Lucky asked Socorro.  
The woman rubbed her chin, looked around and said, "We have no fancy hotel here, but I run a little bed and breakfast building where you six can stay."  
"Oh, gracias!" said Angel, "By the way, I'm Angel Wings, and these are my two friends, Cecile LaFleur and Kitty Katzenberg."  
"We're former travelling showgirls and we're on our way to Hollywood," added Kitty.  
"You see," explained Cecile, "The amigos have some experience with movies, and we want to become famous movie stars like them!"  
"Muy interesante!" said Socorro, "I must take you all at once to meet my family, who are also my employees!" So she motioned for the amigos and amigas to gather their horses and follow her to her bed and breakfast.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Staying with the Garcia Family**

A few minutes later, Socorro, the amigos and the amigas were at a large building just outside Los Flores's outskirts. Standing at the main entry door was a friendly-looking Hispanic family – there was an elderly couple and a young man waiting for visitors. "Everyone," Socorro told the amigos and amigas, "This is my familia who helps me run my bed and breakfast, the Garcia family." As everyone got their bearings together, Socorro introduced her family members to her new friends; the travelers met the father Ricardo, the mother Lupe, and Socorro's older brother, Juan.  
"Welcome to Los Flores!" Ricardo told the travelers happily, "We are honored to have you hombres and mujeres stay with us for the night!"  
"Merci, monsieur," said Cecile, but then she remembered that people in Mexico speak Spanish instead of French. "Excusez-moi!" the French woman corrected, "I meant to say, 'Gracias, senor!'"  
"No need to be sorry, senorita," Juan said with a chuckle, "Come, come! We will find decent rooms for the six of you!"  
"I guess even after two years, Amigo fandom hasn't died off," Ned whispered to Lucky. Lucky simply smiled back.

That evening, the amigos and amigas were seated at a large dinner table, eating tacos with beans and rice. "Mmmmm," Angel said as she swallowed down some rice, "This stuff is very good. Much better than what Mr. Azhell would provide for us!"  
"Who is Mr. Azhell?" Dusty asked.  
"He was our manager," Cecile replied as she put an extra dollop of sour cream on her taco, "He was very self-centered and only cared about money and reviews from the people we entertained when we were showgirls."  
"The only funny thing about him was his name," added Kitty, "His first name was Matt. And I think it's some kind of pun on the phrase 'mad as Hell.' Funny, huh?" She giggled before she took a bite from her taco. This made the amigos and the Garcia family laugh.  
"As I was saying, Mr. and Mrs. Garcia," said Angel, giving her friends a slightly annoyed look, "This food is very good. Muy bien!"  
"Gracias, my dear," replied Lupe, "When you are finished, I will show you to your rooms."

After everyone ate, Lupe and Ricardo showed the amigos and amigas two bedrooms; each of them had three separate twin-sized beds, a vanity, three washbasins, and a wardrobe. "Do you mind if we try out the beds first?" Lucky asked the Hispanic couple. Lupe and Ricardo both nodded as Lucky motioned for Dusty and Ned to come with him and try out all the mattresses. All three of the mattresses in one bedroom were super-soft, and all three of the mattresses in the other bedroom were much harder.  
"What would you ladies like?" Ned asked the amigas.  
"I want whichever bed is the softest!" insisted Cecile with a big smile.  
"I vote something soft and cozy, also," agreed Angel.  
Kitty thought for a moment and then said, "I think I'll go with soft, too."  
"Damn," Lucky muttered to himself, "I wanted soft, too!"  
"Then it's settled!" said Ricardo, "Men will let the ladies sleep in soft beds, while you'll have to put up with something harder." He then led the amigos into the room with harder mattresses and added, "I hope you men have a good night's sleep. In case we don't see you later this evening, I bid you Buenos Noches!"  
"And Buenos Noches, to you amigas, too!" added Lupe.  
"Good night!" The amigos all said in unison before closing their bedroom door.  
"Good night!" The amiagas all added in unison. As Ricardo and Lupe left, Angel walked up to them and asked, "What time is breakfast tomorrow?"  
"Nine o'clock," answered Lupe, "Socorro may have something special cooking, so I hope you and your amigos don't miss it!"  
Angel smiled and said, "I don't think we would miss this for anything! After all, if we're going to be movie stars, we have to be treated like princes and princesses."  
"You know, senorita," said Lupe, "Being famous isn't just about being treated like royalty, you know. You'll have to look inside your heart to find more answers."  
Angel thought for a moment, and then said, "I guess so. Good night."

Meanwhile, in the amigos' bedroom, Dusty and Ned were discussing something with Lucky. "Lucky, why?" Ned asked, "Why couldn't you just tell the girls that we're not movie stars anymore? After all, we haven't set a foot in Hollywood for two whole years!"  
Lucky sighed and said, "You see, that woman in red, Angel, she's more of a devil than an angel. She certainly has plenty of attitude, and I didn't want to upset her even more by telling her that we were fired two years ago, and we probably can't get back into Hollywood now!"  
"Maybe that's not it," Dusty commented with a sly grin, "I think you're trying to impress Angel, is that what?"  
"NO!" Lucky snapped, "You saw me arguing with her in the desert. We're not a match made in Heaven!"  
Dusty just chuckled; while he and Lucky kept arguing, Ned got to work at writing something on a notepad. When he was finished, it read:

 _You are a vision of loveliness,_  
 _Your hair and eyes make give me taste,_  
 _An appetite for chocolate,_  
 _But let's not make haste!_

 _I see a mirage in the desert,_  
 _Are you real? Are you living?_  
 _Your body reminds me of a nymph,_  
 _To me, your beauty is giving._

"Oh, she'll love it!" Ned chuckled to himself. He snuck out of the bedroom, and went to see if the amigas were asleep or out of their bedroom. Sure enough, the women were all hiding behind some screens as they changed into their nightgowns. Ned silently crept to Kitty's belongings and found a book by her things. Carefully, he opened it, put the note between two of the pages, and then closed it. He then ran out of the bedroom and back into his own.  
"Did you girls hear something?" Kitty asked when she finished putting on her nightgown. As she began to tie her hair into braids, Angel and Cecile looked around the room.  
"I don't think I heard anything," remarked Angel.  
"Oui, you must be hearing things," said Cecile.  
Kitty shrugged her shoulders and went back to focusing on her hair.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Two Nightmares and a Wet Dream**

Later that night, the amigos were all wearing their nightgowns, and lay awake in their beds. "Hey, Dusty, Lucky," said Ned, "Which one of those amigas is your favorite so far?"  
Dusty sighed and answered, "I guess I like Cecile. And when I say, 'like,' I mean that I like her as a friend. Just that and nothing else."  
"I think so far, either Cecile or Kitty is my favorite," said Lucky, "I think you guys know that I can hardly stand Angel."  
"Are you sure, Lucky?" asked Dusty, "Because some of the best friends in the world start off hating each other."  
Lucky just groaned as Ned stated, "I know what's a fact, Kitty is my favorite. She's so beautiful, and just imagine how I'd love to let her snuggle in with me at night."  
Lucky and Dusty glared at Ned. But he didn't notice, because he closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep. "Oh well, suit yourself, Ned," Lucky said quietly as he pulled his bedclothes close to his chin and started falling asleep.

 _When they all fell asleep, Lucky, Dusty and Ned began dreaming dreams. Lucky dreamed that he was standing on some clouds, happily dancing and jumping around. "I'm on top of the world!" he laughed, "Both metaphorically and literally! What could possibly go wrong?" As he jumped up very high, Lucky landed into a hole in the clouds, falling downward for several miles! Next thing he knew, Lucky had landed into a pool of water. When he reached for the surface, he gasped for air and looked around. All around him were laughing demons with Angel Wings's facial features! The demons flew down and started harassing poor Lucky, who struggled for life._  
Back in reality, Lucky squirmed around under his bedclothes, and then fell off the bed, waking him up!

 _Dusty dreamed that he was lying on a table, only his wrists and ankles were tied down by some ropes. He was also only wearing a white tank top with red boxer shorts and yellow and green argyle socks. At one end of the table, Cecile appeared, wearing a very revealing purple concubine outfit; her hair was done in a high ponytail, and she was carrying a bullwhip. "Bonjour, Monsieur Dusty," she said in a very seductive tone, "I know you want me for more than just a friend."_  
 _"What?!" Dusty cried in shock, "I never said-"_  
 _His sentence was cut off when Cecile shushed him and put a cloth over his mouth. "Do not worry," she said, "I shall take good care of you, mon ami!" She then got up on the table and sat next to Dusty. All the helpless man could do was squirm around, trying to break free!_  
Back in reality, Dusty was laying on his side, squirming around. He woke up when he accidentally hit his head on the back of his bed.

 _While Lucky and Dusty had nightmares, Ned's dream was a passionate, sexual dream. He dreamed he was on a tropical island, looking at the open water. All of a sudden, a large fish's tail appeared out of the water! Ned took his boots off, rolled up his pant sleeves, and then ran into the water to find that fish. As he looked around, he heard a woman's voice call his name; in the water, he saw the head of Kitty Katzenberg bobbing in the water. Kitty's head disappeared, and the next thing Ned knew, something had pushed him down into the water on his back! Ned looked up, and saw a mermaid; it wasn't just any mermaid, Kitty herself was a mermaid!_  
 _"Oh, Ned," Kitty said seductively, "Hold me tight and show me how much you love me!"_  
 _"Yes please!" Ned said as he put his arms on Kitty's back. As they kissed, Kitty unzipped Ned's pants and pulled them down. Then, she undid her seashell bra and let Mr. Nederlander caress her bare and tender breasts, making her moan with satisfaction._  
Back in reality, Ned was contentedly making orgasmic noises in his sleep as he moved his body and legs, hugging and kissing his pillow in the progress.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Bandits!**

The next morning, the Three Amigos woke up very sleepy-eyed. "Oh boy," Lucky yawned as he moved his hand up and down his back, "I did not get a very good sleep last night."  
"Me neither," said Dusty, "Next time we come here, I'm going to sleep in the room where the girls slept."  
Ned was the only amigo who appeared to have no trouble at all. "Too bad for you," he said in a groggily voice as she sat up in his bed, "Because I had a wonderful sleep!"  
"I know," said Lucky, "I could hear you making sexual noises."  
Just then, there came a knock at their bedroom door. Dusty told the caller to come in, and it turned out to be Juan. "Buenos dios, amigos!" Juan greeted cheerfully, "My mama and my hermana are cooking breakfast. They told me to ask you to get ready and come down!"  
"Gracias, Juan," Lucky replied. After Juan left and closed the door, all the amigos got out of bed to prepare for their day.

Meanwhile, in the women's bedroom, Angel, Cecile and Kitty woke up as if they had a good night's sleep; they all had smiling faces, and they got out of bed without any trouble at all. Angel looked at the clock on a wall, which read eight-thirty, and said, "Oh good. We got up just in time."  
"What do you mean?" asked Cecile.  
"Breakfast is at nine o'clock, so that gives us half an hour to get ready," replied Angel.  
"Excellent," Kitty said with a yawn, "I hope the family is cooking something delicious." It wasn't long before the amigas went behind their screens to wash themselves and get dressed, completely unaware of the unexpected events to happen later that morning.

A few miles away in the desert, a trio of Mexican bandits was resting with their horses and bottles of tequila. The leader was named El Loco, and he just so happened to be the younger brother of the infamous El Guapo, the late bandit who was defeated two years ago by the amigos. Since he heard of his brother's death, El Loco held a very strong grudge against the Three Amigos and fantasized daily of killing them, claiming his victory. Today, however, El Loco was even more disturbed and distressed than ever. "Morning, noon and night is all the same," he muttered to his friends, Miguel and Antonio, "We raid villages, steal tequila and pesos, but we never kill anyone – yet. Mark my words, amigos, one of these days, I'm gonna really get even with those gringos once and for all. If they think they can get away with defeating my brother and his hombres, they're sadly mistaken!"  
"What do you need to be upset about?" Miguel asked, "Just forget about those guys and get a life!"  
"Oh, I'll get a life, Miguel," replied El Loco, "I'll get three lives!"  
"Speaking of three," added Antonio, who always wanted to know everything, "I've heard word that the amigos are in a town called San Flores, and they have some pretty mujeres with them!"  
"Que?"  
Antonio began, "I said that I heard word…"  
"Skip ahead to the last part!" insisted El Loco.  
"The amigos are in San Flores with some pretty mujeres!"  
El Loco thought for a moment, and then he announced, "Get on the horses, boys! We're taking a little trip to San Flores!"  
"All right!" said Miguel, "Maybe we can have some burritos there this afternoon?"  
El Loco whacked his friend upside the head. "No!" he said, "I've got some unfinished business to settle with those diablos!" With those words, the men mounted their horses and fled off to San Flores.

Back at her bed and breakfast, Socorro was just finishing with washing dishes after cooking breakfast when she heard some screaming outside. Curious, she looked out her window and was shocked by what she saw – a trio of bandits on horseback! "Banditos!" she cried, "We need the amigos!"  
Lupe looked out the window and added, "Not just any banditos! It is El Loco and his gringos. I'll go upstairs and warn the amigos; you go tell the three women to stay inside this building!" Socorro went to the amigas' bedroom, while Lupe warned the amigos.  
"Boys, we've got a show to put on!" Lucky announced to the other amigos when they heard the news.  
In the girls' bedroom, Socorro delivered the news and told Angel, Cecile and Kitty to stay inside. "I think those guys may just be actors," Cecile whispered to her friends, "I think the amigos are going to demonstrate their acting skills, no?"  
"Maybe," replied Kitty, "Let's watch from this window!" She pointed to a nearby window, and her friends gathered around her to see the "show."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - A Show - Down!**

After they changed into their signature outfits, Lucky, Dusty and Ned mounted their horses and prepared to confront the bandits. (Really, Lucky wanted to impress the amigas by letting them believe that the skirmish was a show, and that he and his friends could defeat villains like any movie hero could.) El Loco and his friends turned around and saw the amigos. "So," said the lead bandit, "The Three Amigos! We meet again."  
"Well, you slime-covered pig, you scum-sucking dog, you son of a mother-less goat!" insulted Lucky.  
"What are you talking about?" asked Miguel.  
"Whenever there is injustice, you'll find us!" said Ned, "Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there! Whenever liberty is threatened, you'll find…"  
"The Three Amigos!" the three heroes all said in unison, before they did their famous salute.  
El Loco and his men looked at each other, and then El Loco said with a smirk, "Let's finish these two for murdering me hermano, El Guapo!" He then pointed his pistol in the air and fired a shot, getting the amigos' attention, and added, "All right, amigos! You will all die like dogs!"  
"No!" said Dusty, "We will not die like dogs! We'll fight like lions!"  
"And wolves!" added Ned.  
"And killer whales!" finished Lucky, "For justice will be served!" At those words, the amigos pulled out their pistols and began riding their horses, circling the bad guys and laughing; they also fired their pistols up in the sky, while El Loco couldn't decide who to shoot first. Eventually, the horses went so fast that the bandits gave up.  
"All right," said El Loco, "You three gringos win this time, but mark my words – I will hunt you like a fox!" He reached into this vest and pulled out a small, yellow fennec fox that looked very sick and hungry; its fur was also thinning out.

Meanwhile, the amigas were watching the whole scene, and were impressed by the men's "acting" skills. But when they saw the poor fox in El Loco's hand, Cecile began to feel sorry for the animal. "I despise the way that man is mistreating the poor animal," she said, "I can't imagine what that poor thing has been through. I must go help him!" Completely forgetting Socorro's advice to stay inside the building, the French woman scurried to her feet and ran out the room.  
"Cecile, wait!" Angel called, "You don't know what..." Her sentence was cut off when Kitty motioned for her friend to look out the window.

Outside, Cecile was standing next to the amigos, facing the bandits with a sour look on her face. "What on earth do you think you are doing with that poor fox?!" she demanded.  
"None of your business, senorita!" scoffed Antonio, "That fox is our pet, not yours!"  
"If he were your pet, he should be well-cared for, fed, and loved!" Cecile shot back, "Now you either put him down gently, or you'll have to go through me, first, you _cochon_!"  
"Have it your way!" laughed El Loco; he threw the poor fox onto the ground, making it yelp in pain! Then, he motioned for Miguel and Antonio to grab Cecile and bind her. The poor French girl screamed, but then the men put a cloth around her mouth, gagging her. "Shut up!" El Loco told Cecile, "Or a terrible fate will be in store for you!"  
"I don't think so!" yelled Dusty, dismounting his horse, "Let her go!" He then pointed his pistol at the three bad guys.  
"If you want the girl," said El Loco, "You'll have to catch us first – without any lasso, gun or horse! Think you can do that?"  
"Yes," replied Dusty, dropping his gun on the ground.  
"Very well," said the head bandit. Then he turned to his men and ordered, "Arriba!"  
The men took off on their horses, with Cecile held captive!

Lucky looked at Dusty and asked with concern, "Well, what are you gonna do, since you can't use a horse, gun or lasso?"  
Dusty shrugged and said, "I don't know. You guys are gonna have to help."  
"Of course," replied Ned, "But first, we'd better take this poor fox to Socorro and the girls to nurse it." He then turned and saw what looked like a Tubman 601 airplane off in the distance. The auburn-haired amigo grinned and said, "I think you'll also need a little help from Little Neddie, too!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - The Daring Rescue**

A while later, after the fennec fox was brought in to be healed by the women, the amigos were in the very airplane that Ned had spotted. "Ned, are you sure this is a good idea?" Lucky asked wearily, "I think this is stealing."  
"Well, right now, it's called borrowing!" Ned replied as he started the airplane, "But it'll be just like the good old days when I was in _Little Neddie Goes to War_!"  
In a matter of minutes, the plane was soon off the ground and in the air! Ned piloted the plane in the direction that El Loco and his comrades went, and they were soon in sight. "CECILE LAFLEUR AT NINE O'CLOCK!" Dusty announced when he saw the captors and captive below.

Back on the ground, El Loco and his friends heard noise and looked up in the sky. No one could believe their eyes! Cecile was amazed but worried about the plane; she didn't know if a friend or enemy was driving it, but then she saw the familiar black and white uniforms worn by the amigos and became relieved that they were coming to the rescue. El Loco and his men, however, were angered and distressed that the amigos found them. Soon, the airplane landed near the bandits and their captive, and then the amigos came out. "All right, El Loco," said Dusty with a glare, "My friends and I have lived up to not bringing any horses, guns or lassos. Now hand the girl over here!"  
"You'd better listen to him, El Loco," Miguel whispered to his boss.  
El Loco rolled his eyes and then looked at Dusty with a frown. "Very well," he said under his breath, "You may have her. But I guarantee you that we are not finished with you gringos yet!"  
Ned and Dusty untied the ropes around Cecile's wrists and removed the cloth from her face. "Oh, my heroes!" the French woman exclaimed, putting her arms around Dusty. All Dusty could do was roll his eyes.

It wasn't long before the amigos and Cecile were back in the plane, and riding back to San Flores. As they rode off, El Loco and his friends looked on with glares on their faces. "Where do you think they're going, El Loco?" asked Miguel.  
"I don't know," replied El Loco, "But we are going to follow them, and wherever they may end up for a long period of time, we will seize our moment!"  
Meanwhile, after the amigos and French woman arrived safely in San Flores, everyone cheered, and Angel and Kitty greeted Cecile with a big hug. "I thought we'd never see you again," said Kitty with a smile.  
"Likewise," said Cecile, "And where is the little fox that was injured?"  
Angel bent over and picked up the golden yellow fennec fox that was resting on the ground. It had a bandage on its right foreleg, and looked up at Angel with its innocent, baby blue eyes. "I named him Philip, after my father," explained Angel, "He has that innocent look in his eyes that seem to say, 'I love you, and I want you to be my sweetheart forever.'"  
"Oh, that's a perfect name!" said Cecile, "I'm so glad to see him alive, thanks to Monsieur Dusty, who saved my life!"  
Everyone looked at Dusty, who blushed red and stammered, "I-I did nothing of the thought. I-I just w-wanted to keep this 'show' going and make it more a-adventurous!" He didn't want to admit two things: one – he cared for Cecile and was concerned for her safety, and two – he didn't want to spill the beans that he and his friends were no longer actors, but real heroes.  
"Come on, Dusty," snickered Ned, "I see that look in your eyes."  
Dusty was about to insult Ned when Lucky said to his friends, "I think we should be moving on our way to Hollywood. What do you think?"  
"What about the bill for the bed and breakfast?" asked Angel, "And three extra horses for me and my friends?"  
"Not to worry," said Socorro, who came up to Angel with a smile, "Putting on a show against those banditos and rescuing your friend is enough payment for all those things! Just this once, I will let you all stay for free and have three free horses to raise and travel with. My family and I have three young and fit mares who are also very gentle but obedient."

About twenty minutes later, Juan and Ricardo came up to the amigos and amigas with three dapple-gray mares to ride on to Hollywood. "Flora, Clara, and Lucinda are looking for a good home," explained Juan, "But I am afraid our stable is too small for three horses. Promise us you'll take good care of them, and you only have to pay fifteen pesos!"  
"We'll take them!" said Lucky, handing Juan fifteen pesos.  
"Gracias, amigos and amigas!" thanked Ricardo, "I hope you find great success in Hollywood, and my family and I hope to see you in San Flores again soon!"  
"I think you may!" Angel said with a smile as she carried Philip in her arms, then she turned to her friends and asked, "Shall we be on our way?"  
Everyone nodded as they all mounted their horses and Lucky announced, "Remember, whenever there is injustice, you will find us!"  
"Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there!" added Ned.  
"Whenever liberty is threatened," added Dusty, "You'll find…"  
"THE THREE AMIGOS!" the amigos all said in unison.  
"Let's ride!" said Kitty. And with that, the amigos, women and their new fox rode off to their destination!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - Kitty's Tragic Story**

After travelling many miles, the amigos and amigas decided to camp out in an open area close to an oasis in the desert, where they could rest. While the men built up a fire, the women decided to gather some water for everyone. As he was resting, Ned thought he heard some beautiful singing. He got up and walked towards the source of the sound, and there was Kitty - by herself and fetching some water from the pond while singing:

 _Remember me,_  
 _Though I have to say goodbye,_  
 _Remember me,_  
 _Don't let it make you cry._  
 _For even if I'm far away,_  
 _I'll hold you in my heart._  
 _I'll play a secret song for you_  
 _Each night we are apart._  
 _Remember me,_  
 _Though I have to travel far,_  
 _Remember me,_  
 _Each time you hear a sad guitar._  
 _Know that I'm with you_  
 _The only way that I can be._  
 _Until you're in my arms again,_  
 _Remember me._

Ned was so mesmerized by Kitty's singing, that he didn't notice her walking into him! "Excuse me!" Kitty said, feeling a little annoyed.  
"Oh!" Ned cried when he saw the brunette, "I do apologize. I was just resting a little, and I heard singing, and I saw that it was you!"  
"You did?"  
"Yes," replied Ned, "Did you know that you have the loveliest voice I've ever heard before?"  
"Why thank you," the brunette said with a small smile.  
Ned then asked with slight concern, "So why didn't you sing during the show yesterday?"  
Kitty gave a sad look on her face and said, "It's best that I not talk about it." She then went on her way back to the campsite, and Ned slowly followed her, with his mind still questioning why Kitty didn't sing along with her friends the day before.

Later that evening, everyone was sitting at the fire, eating toasted bats that Dusty and Ned had caught. Angel wearily took a bite out her bat and said, "Mmmmm! This is not too bad."  
"Oui," agreed Cecile, "I didn't know bats would taste as good as escargot."  
"What's escargot?" asked Dusty, before he took a bite into his bat.  
"Cooked snails," replied the French woman with a smile. Dusty looked at her as if she had lobsters crawling out of her nostrils.  
"To change the subject," said Lucky, "Kitty, Ned said that he heard you singing with a lovely voice, and he wonders why you didn't sing with your friends yesterday."  
Kitty looked around a little and said, "To tell you the truth, I haven't sung in front of a crowd in many years. And it's best I don't do it ever again after this one incident."  
All the men looked at her with pity and shock, and Ned asked, "What happened? You can tell us, Kitty. Trust me."  
Kitty sighed and said, "Okay, I'll tell you. It happened ten years ago…"

 _ **Flashback: Santa Fe, New Mexico – 1908**_  
 _Ten years ago, the amigas were still travelling showgirls known as "Flowers of the Desert." Of the three, Kitty had the best singing voice, and people always came to the girls' shows just to hear Kitty sing. However, on this particular night, Kitty was still recovering from a sore throat, and had no other choice but to perform in front of a packed audience. For the first fifteen minutes of the show, Kitty and the others were fine. But then, Angel felt a queasy pain in her stomach, since this was her "time of the month."_  
 _"Kitty, would you mind entertaining these people for the next ten minutes or so?" Cecile asked when Angel needed help._  
 _"We won't be gone long," said Angel, "It's just that the crimson tides are messier than ever tonight, and they can't wait."_  
 _Kitty wearily added with a small smile, "Okay. I can try, but then my throat needs some rest."_  
 _"We'll be right back, I promise!" said Cecile, "Just sing for the crowd for a little while, sil vou plais?"_  
 _With those words, Cecile helped Angel to a nearby privy outside to take care of her "time of the month."_

 _Meanwhile, back on stage, Kitty sang a happy song for the audience. However, when she came to a high note, Kitty's voice croaked like a frog! Everyone gasped in shock, but the brunette kept singing some lower notes. At the next high note, though, she croaked even louder, and everyone started laughing! "Get off the stage, you ugly toad!" scoffed one man, throwing a tomato that hit Kitty in the chest. When Kitty felt what happened, she gasped in anger and shock._  
 _"How dare you?" she inquired, "I'm recovering from a sore throat, and-"_  
 _Her sentence was cut off when another person threw an egg at her foot. Then, the other people in the crowd began to throw tomatoes and eggs at Kitty. The poor woman tried to escape, but she tripped over a cord on the stage and fell, making everyone laugh harder! The white scarf that was tied around her green dress came undone, and a couple of Mexican men grabbed Kitty by her arms; they humiliated her even more by tearing the sleeves off her dress, her star necklace from her neck, and green bow from her hair! "Let's see how you like it when you're a real frog!" sneered one of the Mexicans. He and his comrade got a bucket full of ice cold water, and splashed it onto Kitty's dress!_  
 _As the poor girl winced in chills from the water, another person from the crowd cried, "Let's hear more croaking, now!" Kitty had no choice but to croak like a frog._

 _Back at their privy, Angel and Cecile heard the commotion from inside the tavern, and ran inside to investigate. They were horrified when they saw poor Kitty get humiliated, just because she messed up a song with her sore throat. Angel decided to do something about this; she furiously ran into the crowd, and punched one man in the face! Everyone went silent and stopped what they were doing to see what happened. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU ASSHOLES?!" Angel asked with rage._  
 _"This frog did some croaking!" remarked one person, "And she was so funny!"_  
 _"Funny, my ass!" shouted Angel, "You blithering bastards should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on a poor girl who's recovering from a sore throat!" Angel then slammed her heel onto another man's foot, making him cry in pain. "WHO'S NEXT?!" The dirty blonde asked. Everyone backed away from Angel silently as she made her way to the stage to help Kitty._  
 _"Angel, why?" Kitty asked when her friend approached her, "Why weren't you here with me sooner?"_  
 _Angel felt like lashing out, but she exhaled deeply and explained, "I'm sorry, Kitty. I never wanted any of this to happen while Cecile and I were gone. I didn't know which would be worse – my friend getting or humiliated or a whole audience to boo us for not entertaining them long enough."_  
 _"Is reputation all that matters to you?" Kitty asked, breaking into a sob._  
 _"No," replied Angel, "But I couldn't predict this disaster and blasphemy. Let's go back stage." So Angel helped Kitty back to behind the stage, while giving the audience a deadly glare._  
 _ **End of flashback**_

"And then Mr. Azhell found out, and he was both angry and proud," said Kitty, "He was angry at Angel for assaulting a couple of people in the crowd, but he was proud of her for standing up for me."  
The amigos looked at Kitty with sympathy and awe, and Angel added, "Cecile and I tried to coax Kitty several times that nothing like this would ever happen again, but she wouldn't listen."  
"I worry all the time that I'm gonna screw up again, and I know that both my parents would hate me if I did!" Kitty said, getting ready to cry.  
Ned went over to comfort her and said, "I don't think so, your parents probably still love you, no matter what." When he said those words, however, Kitty started sobbing into his chest. Angel gave the auburn-haired amigo a dirty look. "What?" asked Ned.  
"Kitty despises talking about her parents!" said Angel coldly.  
Ned kept silent, because he didn't want to make Angel angry. Instead, he hugged Kitty tightly and she eventually stopped crying in a few minutes.  
Later at night, the amigos and amigas fell asleep after they put out their fire. Kitty, however, laid down not too far away from Ned and pondered in her head. Did Mr. Nederlander really care about her or was he only saying that, because he only liked her appearance. Kitty thought she'd think about it more in the morning as she fell asleep under the stars.

Author's Note: The song "Remember Me" is from Disney/Pixar's Coco. No copyright infringement needed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12- An Argument and A Bullying Story**

The next morning, the amigos and amigas kept travelling on their way. Angel rode her horse up next to Lucky, who was mounted on his horse. "You know, Lucky," said Angel, "We kind of got off on the wrong foot the other day. When I saw you and your friends put on that show, I was impressed. You're a really good actor."  
"Thanks," Lucky said with a smile, "But you know, uh…"  
"Yes?"  
Lucky tried to come clean with Angel and tell her that he and his friends were no longer actors, but he chickened out and instead said, "I think you'll be a great actress."  
"Speaking of which," said Dusty, "How do you think we're gonna impress those guards at the gate to get in?"  
"What is he talking about?" Angel asked with a raised brow.  
Lucky was dumbfounded. He knew that the guards would never in a million years let him and the other amigos back into Hollywood after the argument with Harry Flugleman, and he also knew that the girls had to prove they had acting skills if they were ever going to become movie actresses. "You see," Lucky said to Angel wearily, "Not everyone gets a chance to go to Hollywood. You kinda… have to prove to certain people that you have good acting skills in order to…"  
"Wait a minute!" interrupted Angel, holding up her hand to get everyone else to stop, "You never said my friends and I had to PROVE we were good actresses to get into acting business at Hollywood!"  
"Well, we were gonna tell you, but I guess we got sidetracked," said Lucky.  
"By what?"  
"You know, by the instant I brought up the subject of being tired of walking through the desert the other day, and had you and your girlfriends carry us on horses!" Lucky said with a frown.  
"That is definitely not an excuse!" said Angel, folding her arms.  
"Well what kind of excuse are you looking for?" asked Lucky.  
"An excuse for an injury or a natural disaster, that's what!" snapped Angel  
"Well, I don't think any of THOSE happened," said Ned.  
"Was I talking to you, Mr. Nederlander?" asked Angel. Ned gave a shocked look, and then looked at Dusty, who shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway," Angel said to Lucky, "Until you find a good excuse for not telling us earlier why we have to prove our acting skills, I'm not speaking to you again!"  
"Fine!" said Lucky.  
"Fine!" said Angel.  
"Fine!"  
"Fine!"  
"Fine," Lucky finished. He then ordered the others to continued trekking.

The amigos and amigas kept traveling, but nobody said anything to anyone. Finally, Cecile broke the silence and asked Angel, "Why do you hold such a grudge against Lucky Day?"  
Angel thought for a while, and replied, "I don't know. It's just that ever since I was young, I never trusted anyone. Remember that time I told you about my bullying?"  
"Oui," said Cecile with a sympathetic look, "I do remember."  
Lucky raised his hand to get everyone to stop their horses. He then dismounted and walked up to Angel and asked, "Pardon me for eavesdropping, but what happened when you were young?"  
Angel gave him a stern look and said, "I don't think you should know."  
"Come on, Angel," said Kitty, "I think he's asking because he really cares about you."  
Lucky just frowned at the brunette and Angel took a deep breath and said, "Okay. If you really do care, I'll tell you."

 **Flashback: Outskirts of Sacramento, California – 1896**  
 _Angel was a young girl who had two loving parents named Philip and Anne Wimbledon. In fact, Angel's real name was Anjelica Marie Wimbledon, even though her parents called her "Angel" for short. Anyway, the young girl had a very happy life with her mother and father at her loving home. In school, though, things were different._  
 _One day, Angel was walking to school when she accidentally tripped over a large rock and fell face-first into a puddle of mud. Children nearby laughed at her and said, "Look at her! Too dirty to be an angel, right, Angel?"_  
 _Angel wiped her face with a handkerchief and glared at the bullies. When she was in her classroom, however, things became worse. Peers sitting behind her snickered and giggled at her until Angel turned around and said, "Stop it! I don't like that. Just because I fell in some mud this morning doesn't mean I'm always dirty!"_  
 _"Angel!" said the teacher, Miss Meadows, "You know it's disruptive to talk in class. Now go to the corner and put on the dunce hat until I tell you to sit back down at your desk!"_

 _The poor girl sadly got up from her desk at sat at the corner with the infamous pointed dunce hat on her head. The other kids gave her mean smiles as Angel tried to hold back tears of anger, guilt, and humiliation. However, as the seconds turned into minutes, she let a few tears fall down her cheek, and she cried quietly._  
 _At the end of the day, Angel went up to Miss Meadows and said, "It wasn't my fault on what happened earlier. I tripped on a rock and fell into some mud, and everybody saw it happen!"_  
 _"Well, bullies are hard to deal with," explained Miss Meadows, "But, Angel, you need to learn how to ignore them. Talking back at them or even hurting them will make things worse. And you know what consequences are put forth when something like that happens."_  
 _"I know," said Angel, "But it's hard to ignore them! I don't even have any real friends to help me out!"_  
 _"Now, now, control yourself," reminded Miss Meadows, "You'll find someone to help you soon, I'm sure. In the meantime, let's hope you do better tomorrow. I think you should get going home."_  
 _"Okay," Angel said with a small smile. So she took her book bag and walked home. However, some children saw her and began laughing at her. "Don't listen to them," Angel told herself, "Just ignore them." All the way home, Angel didn't listen to those other children, and eventually, she made it home to her parents. After telling her parents of what happened that day, Anne Wimbledon comforted her daughter. "It sure isn't fun getting bullied," she said, "But I'm proud of you for ignoring them on the way home."_  
 _"Just remember, sweetheart," added Philip, "You're stronger than you think, and you'll do great things someday – I know it!"_  
 _Listening to those words made Angel smile with joy and pride. "Thanks, Dad," she said as she hugged her father, "I'm gonna change the world someday, and make sure that nobody messes with me anymore!"_  
 **End of Flashback**

Back in the current day, Angel told the other travelers that over the course of the next several years, she tried her best to ignore other children. And it worked – a little too far. Whenever kids her age asked her questions, Angel always worried that she was going to be tricked or pranked by them. So she only gave answers with few words, and rarely socialized with others. When she became a teen, her parents eventually became worried of their daughter, and sought out for help. One psychiatrist suggested that Angel traveled somewhere to socialize with other teenagers. So when she was sixteen, Angel left her home and went to a facility in Sacramento to live among other women.  
"Eventually, she met me and Kitty," said Cecile, "And we decided to go in show business one day!"  
"And when was that?" asked Dusty.  
"I'll tell you later," explained Angel, "After we find another town to rest in."  
"Sure thing," said Lucky. So everyone mounted their horses and continued on their way.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Back in the USA**

Thirty minutes later, the amigos and amigas found themselves at the United States-Mexican border close to Tucson, Arizona. "Ah, the good old USA!" said Dusty when he saw what was ahead.  
"And I think we have company," added Lucky. What he saw was a man on horseback who looked like a cross between a cowboy and a policeman.  
"Are you sure we're not going into Canada, guys?" asked Ned, who was thinking of the iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  
"Of course this isn't Canada!" laughed Angel, "We have thousands of miles to get there. But I thought we were going to Hollywood!"  
"Of course we are," said Ned.  
Soon, everyone slowed their horses down as they approached the cowboy-like man. It turned out that he was a border patrol guard. "Hola," he said to the party, looking at the ground. But then he looked up and was amazed by what he saw. "Aren't you men the Three Amigos?" he asked, "And aren't you ladies the Three Amigas?"  
Everyone nodded their heads, and Lucky said, "Yes. We are."  
"Okay," said the guard with a smile, "May I ask you all to dismount so I can ask a few questions?"  
"Sure," said Kitty.

Everyone dismounted their horses and the guard asked simple questions, like if they had fruit, vegetables, Mexican plants, animals, and other things. At the animal part, Angel had to lie and say no, because she didn't want little Philip (who was hiding in her bag) to be destroyed just because he was living in Mexico, and couldn't come into America for fear of disease. Inside his mistress's bag, poor Philip was trying desperately hard to stay still and not make a noise. Suddenly, a tiny speck of dust made its way into the fennec fox's nostril. While the guard was looking at Ned, he heard a tiny sneeze. He turned to Angel and asked, "What was that noise?"  
"What noise?" Angel asked with worry.  
"I heard a small sneeze somewhere."  
"Oh, that was me!" lied Kitty, "I have allergies." She then made a sneezing sound that sounded like Philip's.  
The guard looked at the brunette oddly, but then said, "Okay. That better not be something else, though!" After looking everyone over, the guard finally said, "All right, you guys can go. I hope you find lots of success with those gals, boys!"  
"Mark my words," said Lucky, who got everyone to mount their horses, "We will!" And with that, the amigos and amigas rode off towards Tucson.

Later on in Tucson, townsfolk everywhere stopped to watch in awe as the amigos and amigas rode through the streets, looking for a place to rest. People whispered, "Are those guys the famous movie stars?"  
"Are those ladies the famous showgirls?"  
"What are they all doing together?"  
"There must be some kind of show somewhere!"  
"I feel like we are in San Flores again," Cecile said to Angel and Kitty.  
"Don't forget," whispered Angel, "These guys are famous movie stars, and we're travelling showgirls."  
"Ex-showgirls, remember?" reminded Kitty.  
Eventually, the party came to an inn to stay at. "That looks like a pretty decent place, don't you think?" said Lucky. The inn was not as big as the Garcia family's bed and breakfast, but it wasn't very small, either. It was also painted a lovely copper brown, so it shone like a penny.  
"Looks pretty good," said Angel with a smile, "And for the best, because Philip is getting restless in my bag. It must be time for him to eat, drink, and do some business." She then dismounted her horse, opened her bag, and let Philip take care of business.

Meanwhile, unknown to any of the amigos or amigas, El Loco and his comrades had snuck illegally into the United States, because Antonio heard word of the party travelling there. "Oh, those muchachos and chicas will be so surprised!" said Miguel to El Loco, "So what are going to do, El Loco?"  
"Patience, amigos," said El Loco, "You'll know when the right time comes. Now, Antonio, where do you think they are by now?"  
"As the crow flies, I think Tucson!" said Antonio, who was looking at some horse tracks in the sand and dirt.  
El Loco laughed evilly and began thinking hard to plan a scheme to get the ultimate revenge on the amigos…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Cecile and Dusty's Moment of Love**

That evening in Tucson, our heroes and heroines were gathered at the inn, and had just finished dinner when Cecile had decided to take a little walk outside and look at the sunset. "I won't be gone too long," Cecile told her friends, "I just want to have a breath of fresh air."  
"Okay," said Angel, "But watch out for robbers and criminals."  
"Not to worry, I know what to do if any of those fools come along!" So the French woman went outside, but then Dusty decided to follow her. He didn't really want to confess love for her, but he wanted to tell her something.  
A few minutes later, he saw Cecile sitting on a bench at the edge of town, looking up at the sky. Dusty cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, mademoiselle."  
Cecile looked to her right and saw Dusty standing next to her. "Oh, monsieur Dusty," she said, "Why are you here?"  
Dusty sighed and said, "I just wanted to apologize to you."  
"Why? You have done nothing wrong – you even saved my life yesterday!"  
"You see, I was kind of a jerk earlier," the man explained, "And I just want to apologize for acting kind of cold at you earlier." He remembered the day he and his friends met the girls, and how Cecile fell in love with him, but he wasn't showing any sign of interest in her.  
"Oh, well, I accept your apology," said Cecile, "But I always thought you were a good man."  
"You did?" Dusty asked with surprise. Then he smiled and said, "To be honest, I think you're really pretty, and extremely nice. I've been around a lot of women, but I think none of them come even close to what I think of you."  
"Oh, merci beaucoup!" beamed the French woman. She then looked at Dusty as he held her hands and began to sing:

 _Look at the sky, and tell me, what do you see?_  
 _Just close your eyes and describe it to me._  
 _The heavens are sparkling with starlight tonight._  
 _That's what I see through your eyes._

Cecile closed her eyes and imagined a starry night, while in real life, the sky darkened and stars began to appear.

 **Cecile:** _I see the heavens each time that you smile,_  
 _I hear your heartbeat just go on for miles!_  
 _And suddenly I know why life is worthwhile,_  
 _That's what I see through your eyes._  
 **Both:** _That's what I see through your eyes!_

Dusty and Cecile held each other close and danced around a little bit as they sang together:

 _Here in the night, I see the sun,_  
 _Here in the dark, our two hearts are one!_  
 _It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun!_  
 _And love just took me by surprise,_  
 _Looking through your eyes._

A shooting star went through the sky while a crescent moon shone down upon the star-crossed lovers.

 **Both:** _I see a night I wish could last forever,_  
 _I see a world we're meant to see together!_  
 _And there is so much more than I remember,_  
 **Dusty:** _More than I remember!_  
 **Cecile:** _More than I have known!_

Dusty and Cecile then turned around and looked towards the town before the former half decided to walk the latter back to the inn.

 **Both:** _Here in the night, I see the sun_  
 _Here in the dark, our two hearts are one!_  
 _It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun!_  
 _And love just took me by surprise,_  
 _Looking through your eyes._

As Dusty and Cecile walked back, Dusty asked, "Cecile, did you love any man back home in Canada?"  
Cecile chuckled and said, "First of all, I am actually from France. Secondly, no, I hardly every socialized with any men, because I lived in the French countryside until I was a preteen."  
Dusty gave a look of surprise and said, "French countryside, huh? I thought you were from Paris."  
Cecile sighed sadly and said, "That is what most people think of when France comes to their mind. All my life, I wished to go to Paris, especially the Moulin Rouge. But my father never cared for urban life."

 **Flashback: French Countryside, 1890**  
 _Cecile was a preteen girl growing up on a farm in rural France. Her parents were Marcel and Genevieve, and they loved her very much, even though Marcel was sometimes strict. On this day, the family was preparing to leave France for America. "Oh, Papa," pleaded Cecile, "Couldn't we just move to Paris instead?"_  
 _Marcel scoffed and said, "No! Paris is full of many street urchins at night, not to mention the promiscuous Moulin Rouge! No daughter of mine will be involved in city life, whether she likes it or not."_  
 _"Besides," added Genevieve with a smile, "We will be starting a new life in America. Money is tight right now, and we need enough to provide food, clothing, and a better roof over our heads!"_  
 _Cecile just sighed and finished loading the family cart full of suitcases and prized possessions to take on the long journey._

 _Three and half years later, Cecile and her family had finally settled in Indiana after travelling by boat, train, and motorcar. Like most teenagers who were immigrants from this era, Cecile was frightened, confused, and anxious about her new lifestyle. While her parents immediately picked up on American farming, Cecile hungered for urban life even more as she drew herself further away from her mother and father. One day, things went a bit too far. Cecile accidentally spilled the beans about longing to live in a faraway city, and her parents became infuriated. "WHAT?" shouted Marcel, "Why, Cecile?"_  
 _"You know your father wants you to continue our rural family traditions," added Genevieve, "You can't just break away from this family right now – you're only a child!"_  
 _"I may be young, but that doesn't mean I can't make my own decisions, too!" Cecile snapped angrily._  
 _"Young lady," said her father, "You will stay in this house and all its acres around it to help us with farming! We just want some extra help, because harvesting food and taking care of livestock is harder than it looks!"_  
 _"I know!" said Cecile, "But if I go to the city, I can get a job, and…"_  
 _"Not another word about cities!" shouted Marcel. And he sent his daughter to his room so she could think about her actions._

 _Later that night, Cecile waited until her parents were both asleep, and then opened her bedroom window. The rebellious teen had made a rope out of bedsheets, and placed it out the window to serve as a means of safe exiting. Cecile wrote a note on a piece of paper that said:_  
Mama and Papa,  
Although I love you, I must follow my dreams and live somewhere urban in California. I will become the showgirl I always wanted to be, and you cannot stop me! If you ever do, I will never speak to you two ever again.  
Cecile  
 _The French girl then went out the window, down the "rope," and off into the darkness until she climbed into a westbound train's boxcar._  
 **End of Flashback**

"I travelled for many weeks until I came to Sacramento, and I made my way to a women's living facility, where I later met Angel and Kitty," Cecile finished, "And one day, we all became showgirls!"  
Dusty gave her a look of worry and said, "Didn't you think your parents would get worried?" he asked.  
"I left them a note," said Cecile, "And I lost touch with them after that, because I was so angry with them."  
"I don't wanna upset you, but maybe someday you should track them down and apologize to them," said Dusty.  
Cecile didn't say anything as they went into the inn's main entryway. Instead, she thought long and hard about Dusty's advice.

Author's Note: The song "Looking Through Your Eyes" is from the movie Quest for Camelot. ((c) Warner Bros.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - Kitty's Nightmare**

 _Later that night, when all the amigos and amigas were asleep in their beds, Kitty began to dream. In her dream, Kitty was lying on a beach – Coney Island to be exact – and she was wearing an olive green dress with white puffy sleeves and a long-sleeved chemise underneath, along with black flat shoes and a white hair ribbon. As she began to sit up, she heard some familiar voices calling her name._  
In reality, Kitty sat up with her eyes closed, removed her bed covers, and began sleepwalking. Philip, who was sleeping on Angel's bed, opened one eye and became shocked by what he saw: Kitty was climbing out of the window, which was six inches off the ground outside! The fennec fox began yelping hysterically at Angel and Cecile to wake up. "Oh, Philip, what is it?" Angel asked groggily as she woke up.  
"Angel, Kitty is gone!" said Cecile when she saw what happened.  
"We need to tell the guys!" said Angel.

Outside, Kitty walked over to a ladder and felt over it. _In her dream, Kitty climbed the ladder, which led to the top of the boardwalk where Coney Island's amusement park was. Standing at the top of the ladder was a middle-aged man with chocolate brown hair and eyes with a gray beard, and was wearing a green and white suit. Standing next to the man was a middle-aged woman with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes; she was wearing an elegant turquoise and green dress, and her hair was done in a half-back. Kitty recognized the two as her parents. "Mama, Papa, you're alive!" Kitty exclaimed when she got onto the boardwalk._  
 _"We are, but only in your heart and memories," said her mother, Diane._  
 _"We both understand that you've been through some tough times," added Ezekiel, the father, "But today, I thought we'd make you feel better by joining us at Coney Island!"_  
Kitty's face beamed with a big smile, while back in reality, Kitty was already on top of the inn's roof!

Meanwhile, Angel and Cecile scurried to the amigos' bedroom and pounded on their door. A sleepy-eyed and annoyed Lucky answered the door. "What is it?" he asked with a yawn.  
"It is Kitty!" said Cecile, "She is sleepwalking, and I think she's in trouble!"  
Ned sprung to life when he heard what was going on. "Kitty in trouble?!" he said, "Where is she?"  
"I think she's outside," Angel said with concern.  
In no time at all, Ned flung on his green dressing gown and slippers, and ran out a nearby door to the outdoors, calling Kitty by her name.

 _Back in her dream, Kitty looked around at all the attractions at Coney Island. "What shall we do first?" she asked her parents._  
 _"I know!" said her father, "How about the Ferris wheel?"_  
 _"An excellent idea," said her mother, "Come now! I don't want to miss any excitement!"_  
 _Soon, Kitty found herself and her parents on a seat in the Ferris wheel. She laughed with delight as she and her parents were taken high into the sky._  
In reality, Ned had spotted Kitty on the roof, and climbed the ladder as fast as he could. What he saw next terrified him – Kitty was inches away from stepping off the roof, and many feet to be injured or killed! "Kitty!" Ned cried, "Don't do it! STOP! KITTY, NOOOOO!" Upon reaching the roof, he got on his feet and darted after Kitty.

 _In her dream, the Ferris wheel stopped, and Kitty's father was getting a little queasy. He leaned over the car so he could vomit, but he leaned a bit too far, and fell out! Diane grabbed Ezekiel's hand, trying to get him back in the seat. "Ezekiel, no!" she cried. But the father's weight was too much for Diane to take; she, too, leaned over the seat's edge and began to fall several feet to the ground, where she and her husband died._  
 _"MAMA! PAPA!" Kitty yelled, "NOOOO!" She stood up in the Ferris wheel seat as it wobbled back and forth. Just then, she started to feel herself falling out, too!_  
Back in reality, Ned had grabbed Kitty by her nightgown and arm, just moments before she could step off the roof and fall! The poor girl still had her eyes closed, and was violently shaking.  
"Kitty, wake up!" Ned said, lightly smacking her cheek to wake her.  
Kitty opened her eyes and saw that Ned was holding her. "Oh, Ned!" she said in a terrified voice, "They fell! They died right in front of me!"  
"Who did?" asked Ned, "Who died right in front of you? What are you talking about?"  
"My parents," Kitty said, calming down a bit with tears in her eyes, "This dream was a flashback of when they died!"  
Ned gently shushed her and gave her a hug while saying, "It's okay, sweetheart. It's over now. Nothing to be afraid of. Maybe you can tell me about it when we get back in?" Moments later, Ned carried Kitty in his right arm while climbing down the ladder with the help of his left hand. "You know, you could've fallen off and gotten hurt or killed," he said when he and Kitty got back on the ground.  
"That must mean you saved my life," said Kitty, "And I didn't even know it!" She embraced Ned with a hug and asked, "If you don't mind, would it be okay if I slept next to you for the rest of the night?"  
"Of course," replied Ned, "Then you can either talk about what happened tonight, or wait until morning."  
"We'd better talk about it tonight," said Kitty, "Or I'll be too scared to sleep for the rest of the night."

When they got back into the inn, Kitty got out her locket and opened it up to show Ned. "That's my mom and dad," she told him, "Ezekiel and Diane. They were the best parents anyone could ask for. Even though they were both busy in theater, I always went with them wherever they went, and they loved me very much."  
"So what happened?" asked Ned.  
"For my thirteenth birthday, they gave me this locket, and the day after that, we left from Cincinnati to New York City, because of a business trip. One day, they had the day off, and we decided to go to Coney Island. Everything was fine, except my father had a little too much beer to drink at lunch. Soon, we decided to go on the Ferris wheel. We had a great time there, but then my dad started getting sick, and he leaned over the seat to upchuck, but he leaned a bit too far, and fell out. My mom grabbed him by the hand, but then, she too, fell out, and both of them…" Kitty couldn't continue, because she started crying. Ned realized that Kitty didn't like to talk about her parents, because she saw them die right in front of her. Instead of asking more questions, Mr. Nederlander let Kitty cry on his shoulder before he carried her bridal style to his bed.

Ten minutes later, Kitty stopped crying, and she slept with her head on Ned's chest to hear his heart beating. It was that moment that Kitty realized that there was more that Ned cared about than her appearance. For the rest of the night, Kitty dreamed a happier dream of lying down in a meadow with Ned at her side.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 - El Loco's Lust**

The next morning, Kitty woke up and very lightly kissed the sleeping Ned on the forehead. This made the corners of his mouth turn upward a little bit. Kitty then went into the bedroom of her sleeping colleagues, where she went behind a screen to wash up and change clothes. Angel slowly opened her eyes and asked with a yawn, "Kitty, what were you doing last night?"  
"I couldn't help it," Kitty said from behind the screen, "Whenever I have these kinds of dreams, I sleepwalk."  
"Well, thank goodness you don't do it very often!" remarked Angel with a chuckle.  
"And you know what else happened?" asked Kitty, "Mr. Nederlander saved my life!"  
"Oui, we heard about that!" Cecile said with a smile, "Do you see now that he really likes you?"  
Kitty made a small frown and said, "I'm not sure, but I think MAYBE Ned might be the kind of person for me. After all, he sure doesn't act like all those other guys who've fallen for me."  
"Yeah," added Angel, "Those guys were just jerks. They couldn't see past your good looks to find a good woman – they just wanted sex, I believe!"  
"Damn right," said Kitty, "Thankfully, I managed to escape all of them before they could get any of their physical agenda on me! Remember that time I told you about the one guy who tried to get me drunk, but I saw some powder in his hand before he put any in my wine?"  
Cecile laughed and said, "Oh, the poor fellow ended up feeling so embarrassed when you asked him what he had in his hands! He turned as red as the Moulin Rouge!"  
Kitty smiled and laughed at her friend's remark. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed that hard.

Meanwhile, in another part of Tucson, three familiar bandits were hiding in an alley. "Antonio," said El Loco, who was snacking on an apple core, "Do you have any news about those gringos and their chicas?"  
Antonio swallowed a piece of hard bread and said, "I think last night, I saw them go into a motel or something like that! And, I saw one of those hombres fall in love with one of the mujeres!"  
"Falling in love?!" El Loco cried with shock.  
Miguel sighed and said, "Oh, how romantica!"  
"NO, it is not romantic!" hollered El Loco, whacking Miguel on the head, "It is terrible!"  
"Why?" asked Miguel.  
"Because I was expecting to have that harem all to myself," answered El Loco, "If I wanted, I could let each of you have one girl while I have the third. But if they don't want to be our mistresses…" El Loco moved his finger across his throat, indicating that he would kill the women if they didn't become mistresses for him and his men.  
"Oh, I see," said Antonio, "Well, I think I'm going to do more scouting around and studying those amigos and amigas."  
"All right," said El Loco, "But keep out of sight!" After Antonio left, El Loco got on his knees and began to pray while singing:

 _Beata Maria, you know I am a righteous man,_  
 _Of my virtue I am justly proud._  
 _Beata Maria, you know I'm so much purer than_  
 _The common vulgar, weak, licentious crowd!_

El Loco looked up at the sun and saw images of the Three Amigas, dancing in their showgirl costumes.

 _Then tell me, Maria,_  
 _Why I see them dancing there,_  
 _Why their smoldering eyes still scorch my soul!_  
 _I feel them, I see them!_  
 _The sun caught in their beautiful hair_  
 _Is blazing in me out of all control!_

He then got back on his feet and began fantasizing about the amigas seducing him.

 _Like fire,_  
 _Hellfire,_  
 _This fire in my skin,_  
 _This burning_  
 _Desire_  
 _Is turning me to sin!_

El Loco then imagined several Mexican Catholic priests appearing before him before chanting in Latin.

 **El Loco:** _It's not my fault!_  
 _I'm not to blame!_  
 _It's those amigas, the witches who set this flame!_  
 _It's not my fault,_  
 _If in God's plan,_  
 _He made the Devil so much stronger than a man!_

The priests all disappeared, and El Loco kept looking up at the sun before fantasizing about either killing the amigas or taking them as his sex slaves.

 _Protect me, Maria!_  
 _Don't let those sirens cast their spell!_  
 _Don't let their fire sear my flesh and bone!_  
 _Destroy the Amigas!_  
 _And let them taste the fires of Hell,_  
 _Or else let them be mine, and mine alone!_

Images of Angel, Cecile and Kitty were about to kiss El Loco, but then Antonio called his name. "El Loco," said Antonio, "The amigos and amigas have ran off!"  
"What?" said El Loco.  
"Miguel and I heard word that they have left Tucson!"  
"Why?" asked El Loco, "Where are they headed next?"  
"I think west," answered Antonio.  
"Fine!" said El Loco, "Be gone! We'll find them. And when we do, they'll be los muertos!" Antonio walked away from El Loco before the leader sang:

 _Hellfire,_  
 _Dark fire!_  
 _Now, amigas, it's your turn!_  
 _Choose me or_  
 _Your pyre!_  
 _Be mine or you will burn!_

He looked up at the sun one last time as he sang:

 _God have mercy on them!_  
 _God have mercy on me!_  
 _But they will be mine,_  
 _Or they will burn!_

After holding the last note for a while, El Loco fell face-down on the ground and groaned; he had had enough time looking at the sunlight, and was ready to move on and hunt down his targets!

Author's Note: The song "Hellfire" is from the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996, (c) Disney/Victor Hugo)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - Cecile's Story of the Women's Home**

Meanwhile, the amigos and amigas had finished paying their bill for their night at the inn, and were on their way. As they mounted their horses, Lucky decided to ask Angel a question. "Angel," he said, "I've always been curious about something you told us yesterday. How would you describe this 'women's home' you and your friends lived in while you were in Sacramento?"  
Angel gave a thoughtful look and said, "Well, let's just say that it wasn't exactly a king's palace. But then again, it wasn't a rotten shack, either!"  
"I have been at that home for the longest time," said Cecile with a smile, "I think I shall tell you all about it." So, as everyone rode off on their horses, Cecile began to tell a story about the women's home.

 **Flashback: Sacramento, California, 1893**  
 _Cecile was about fifteen when she ran away from her parents, and eventually ended up at the women's home in Sacramento. She knocked on the main door, and a woman in her mid-forties opened it. "Welcome to Morrison's Shelter for Women," she said, "May I help you?"_  
 _"Oui, Madame," said Cecile with shyness in her voice._  
 _"Do you speak English, though?" the older woman asked with a raised brow._  
 _"Well, yes," replied Cecile, "I just need someplace to stay for a while."_  
 _"Very well," said the woman with a reassuring tone, "My name is Helen Morrison. I am the manager of this women's home. My employees and I take pride in sheltering homeless or missing ladies. Since you look pretty young, are you sure that your parents say it's okay for you to stay here?"_  
 _Cecile was dumbfounded for a moment; she didn't want to admit the truth that she deliberately ran away from her parents, and they wouldn't know where she was. So she lied, "Um, my parents… are dead. They died a month ago."_

 _Helen appeared to buy Cecile's story, and let her in through the door. "Now, Cecile," the older woman explained, "Here's the deal – if you're going to stay at my shelter, I want you to follow a few rules. First of all, you are now considered a daughter to me. I have a biological daughter of my own, Adele, but I treat all the women here as if they are family. In fact, I think you'll be the perfect friend for Adele – she's a little bit younger than you, but I think you two will do just fine._  
 _"But moving on, the second rule – every woman in this shelter has her duties. No, I'm not going to be like Cinderella's stepmother or anything, but I very much appreciate it when my tenants help out with chores around this facility!"_  
 _Cecile shuddered when she heard that part. Being a teenager at the time, she didn't always enjoy doing chores – especially since she came from a farming family._  
 _Helen reassured Cecile with a smile, "Don't you worry, because you won't be sleeping in the cinders and ashes, either! That brings me to the next rule – because this building isn't very big, you will have to share a room with someone, and respect her personal space. That means no stealing each other's items, arguing, fighting, or anything of that ilk._  
 _"And last of all, we all have to treat each other with the big "R" word – respect. In my home, I don't care a feather or a fig about race, religion, identity, orientation, or other things. What matters is that everyone treats their friends as sisters, mothers, daughters, and just the way you'd like to be treated."_  
 _"Madame Morrison," said Cecile with slight worry, "You said something about your daughter. What is she like?"_  
 _Helen sighed and said sadly, "Well, my Adele used to be a sweetheart – she usually followed the rules, ate all her vegetables, said her prayers, and just stayed nice to everyone – but then, one day last year, her father died in a horseback riding accident. Then my Adele became different like she is now – she doesn't listen to me when I try to reason with her, she gossips about others, and just acts like a snob. Hopefully, you'll try to straighten her out."_  
 _Cecile bowed her head sadly and said, "I shall try, Madame. I shall try."_  
 _Mrs. Morrison then gently lifted her newcomer's head, and then led her down a hall to her new room._  
 **End of Flashback**

We then cut back to 1918, when Cecile finished her side of the story by saying, "Usually, I felt very safe and happy at the home. But Adele was trouble. I tried to be nice to her and get her to be my friend, but she just wouldn't budge."  
"What was she like?" Dusty asked Cecile.  
"I will tell you later," said Cecile with a headshake, "When we can get settled into a campsite or hotel room tonight."  
Angel looked at Dusty sadly and said, "Cecile doesn't like to talk about that bitch."  
Lucky comforted her by saying, "Well, if Cecile is done talking, I don't think you should upset her. I think it's best we keep going west."  
"Uh, guys!" called Ned, who was looking behind, "I think we have company again!" Everyone ordered their horses to stop, dismounted, and then looked in the opposite direction of where they were going. A trio of familiar bandits was following them!  
"Oh great!" said Lucky with disgust, "What could those Chihuahuas possibly want now?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 - Another Confrontation**

El Loco and his men rode faster and faster until they reached the amigos and amigas. "So," said El Loco when he and his men stopped eight feet from our heroes, "We meet again, amigos!"  
"Do you suppose they want to continue working with us?" Kitty whispered to Angel.  
"I don't know," Angel whispered back, "We'll just have to find out!"  
Lucky smirked and insulted, "Well, you filthy-mouthed toads! You butt-sniffing chimps! You sons of a motherless goat!"  
"What are you doing?" inquired Miguel.  
"Wherever there is injustice, you will find us!" said Ned, "Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there! Whenever liberty is threatened, you will find…"  
"THE THREE AMIGOS!" Lucky, Dusty and Ned all said in unison before they did their salute.  
El Loco rolled his eyes and said, "Just get one with it! You ARE going to fight us, no?"  
"Of course!" said Dusty with a fearless grin, "We'll fight like lions and wolves!"  
"Then let's see you!" said El Loco. Immediately, the amigos mounted their horses, grabbed their guns from their belts, and then rode around in a circle, surrounding El Loco and his men – just like in San Flores.

The women, who were all watching, looked at each other with unsure looks. "Is this all they ever do?" Angel asked, "They just run around and laugh at their enemies while shooting their guns in the air?"  
"Well, they are actors," Cecile pointed out.  
"I think we should help them!" insisted Kitty.  
"You're right," said Angel, "These guys need some help. We can all prove that we have good acting skills. Let's go, amigas!" She then motioned for her friends to mount their horses and help the amigos.  
El Loco saw the girls riding up to him and became shocked. "You mujeres?!" he said, "What are YOU doing here?"  
"We, sir, are gonna show you that women can be great heroes, too!" Angel said with pompousness in her voice.  
"I think the female word for hero is heroine," corrected Kitty.  
"Whatever," said Angel, "El Loco, you and your men are gonna pay for this!"  
"Oui," added Cecile, "You men are nothing but a trio of mangy, trash-eating pigs!"  
"Come on, girls!" said Kitty as she dismounted her horse, "Let's fight, because we are…"  
"THE THREE AMIGAS!" the girls shouted in unison before they tested out the amigos' salute.

The amigos stopped what they did, and saw the women facing the bandits. "Wow!" said Dusty, "These are gals who know what they're doing!"  
"What they're doing is copying us – again!" remarked Lucky.  
"I don't think so," said Ned, "Look at them fight! And I mean REALLY fight!" He motioned for his friends to watch the girls. Angel, Cecile and Kitty made kung fu and karate positions at the bandits, startling them!  
"No, wait!" cried Antonio, "Don't hurt us!" Angel made a fighting noise as she stepped towards him.  
"Leave us alone!" added Miguel as Cecile held her left hand in a fighting position at him.  
Kitty was about to do something to El Loco, but he grabbed her wrist and sneered, "You think you mujeres can take me down? Think again, because I have other plans for you three!" He then dug his face into the brunette's hair and sniffed it.  
"Not so fast, senor!" shouted Angel, "Just what do you think you're doing with Kitty?"  
"I'm just imagining her – along with you and your other friend – in a harem," replied El Loco as he moved his fingers up Kitty's arm.  
The poor brunette just cringed with disgust and anger, but then she slammed her heel onto the lead bandit's foot, making him wince in pain. "I know what you're doing, you sick reptile!" she snarled, "And it won't work!"  
"She's right!" said Ned with a glare, "Now let her go!" He walked over to Kitty's side and made sure she was okay.  
"Very well, amigos!" sneered El Loco, "It looks like you now have an army with you. But my men and I aren't finished yet! We'll always have our eyes on you, and we WILL find the perfect time where we won't be so merciful anymore! And I will avenge my brother!"  
"You say what you want, El Loco," said Lucky, "But next time we meet, I'll fill you up with so much lead that you'll be urinating paint!"  
El Loco, who had had enough for now, signaled his men to ride away; however, they still stayed at a good distance to keep their eyes on the amigos and amigas…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 - Cecile and the Heat**

Two hours after the confrontation with the bandits, the amigos and amigas kept on riding through the desert. Suddenly, Cecile spotted something in the distance. "It looks like another town!" she said.  
Lucky immediately took notice and asked, "Are you sure?" The "town" appeared to have something strange about its appearance – the image of it was blurry, and it appeared to float. "I think what you're seeing is a mirage!" Lucky continued.  
When everyone came closer to the sight, the town slowly disappeared; it was a mirage, after all! "Oh, no!" Cecile said with disappointment, "You were right, monsieur Lucky. That was just a mirage in the desert!"  
"Don't worry, Cecile," Dusty said with comfort, "We'll find someplace to camp soon!"  
"Oh, it's not that important," said Cecile, "It's just that I'm getting a little bit sweaty in this heat!"  
"Aren't we all?" said Angel as she wiped her hand across her forehead.  
"Maybe we should find some water?" suggested Ned, "Because one time while Lucky, Dusty and I were travelling, I opened my canteen to drink, but all I got was sand in my face!"  
"Yeah," said Lucky, "And I only got two or three drops of water in my canteen! But Dusty was lucky, because he had ALL the water, and lip balm!" Dusty looked at Lucky with a sheepish grin.

A few minutes later, everyone came to a fresh stream, and Lucky suggested that they set camp up at that site. The amigos and amigas all seemed to agree, especially since Cecile was so hot, sweaty, and tired that she decided to dismount her horse and have a little rest by the stream. "Zut alors," she said, "I don't feel so well." When she sat down on the ground, Cecile became so lightheaded that she fainted! All the amigos and amigas came to her aid, and Angel examined her.  
"I think Cecile's having a hard time with the heat," Angel suggested, "We should find shelter underneath a tree or make a tent!" With those words, everyone looked around for a tree, but since they were in the desert, the only vegetation they could find was cacti and thorny bushes. So instead, they all put up strong sticks in the ground, and covered them with blankets from their horse saddles.  
Cecile then woke up, and allowed the amigos to help her lie down underneath the handmade tent. "Merci, amigos," she said softly, "I think I shall have some water to drink before I have a little nap, no?"  
"That sounds like a good idea," replied Dusty, "After all, we've had another eventful day!" He then took off his black jacket, and placed it on Cecile to serve as a blanket before he turned back to the other women and men. "You know what?" Dusty said to his friends, "I don't wanna admit this, but I think I'm starting to feel something for Cecile."  
"I knew it," snickered Ned, "Next thing you know, you'll wanna be as close to her…"  
"Ned!" said Dusty with an irritated tone, "Nothing like that!" He continued with a smug smile, "As I was saying, I think Cecile is a generous, brave and kind person. Even though sometimes she's a bit ditzy and obnoxious."  
Angel frowned a little bit and said, "Well, that is true. It's just that ever since she was a teenager, she's always wanted to be the center of attention."  
Dusty remembered the night before when Cecile told him about emigrating from rural France, and then running away to Sacramento, never speaking to her parents again. He then asked Angel and Kitty, "She told you about what happened in her teen years?"  
"Yes, back when she was younger," Kitty nodded, "We've tried convincing her to write to her parents and apologize to them, but she didn't listen to us. So, we decided to just let the subject go, and not bother her anymore."  
"Speaking of which," said Lucky, who was eavesdropping a little bit, "I've never heard your points of view on the women's home in Sacramento. Why don't you tell me about it?"  
Angel looked at the amigos, and then she motioned for them to sit down. "Okay, we'll tell you," she said. While Cecile kept on napping, Angel began to tell her side of the story about living at the women's home…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 - Angel's Story of the Women's Home**

 **Flashback: Sacramento, California, 1901**  
 _Angel was a sixteen-year-old girl from the outskirts of Sacramento, who was sent to the women's home by her parents and a psychiatrist in order to socialize with others. After bidding her parents goodbye, Angel went up to the front door of the women's home and knocked on it. Mrs. Helen Morrison answered it and asked, "Are you Anjelica Wimbledon?"_  
 _"Yes," said Angel, "But I like to be called Angel if you wouldn't mind."_  
 _"Of course not," smiled Helen, "Now as I understand it, you've been sent here to interact with others so that you may socialize better, correct?"_  
 _"That is correct, ma'am," replied Angel as she stepped inside the building._

 _When Angel and Helen went in, a young woman in her early twenties watched the newcomer with a dirty look. This was Helen's daughter, Adele, and she had light skin, wavy red hair, and blue eyes. "Adele, why are you scowling at our newcomer?" Mrs. Morrison asked when she saw her daughter's face._  
 _Adele rolled her eyes and said, "Because we have another gypsy or waif to look after!"_  
 _"This one isn't a runaway," said Mrs. Morrison with a stern voice, "She was sent here by her parents. And I thought I made it clear a long time ago not to call these ladies gypsies or waifs! Just because they run away doesn't mean they always cause trouble. Miss DuBois was a runaway, but I highly doubt that she was any trouble; and Miss Katzenberg was an orphan whose only other relatives besides her parents had no clue about raising children, so they let her stay here."_  
 _Angel shot Adele a deadly glare while Adele just shrugged, "Well working for all these women is tiring me out!"_  
 _"I know, dear," comforted Helen, "But I want you to respect everyone, just as all the tenants have to respect us. After all, there are other women out there who aren't nearly as fortunate as our tenants!" With those words, Adele just walked off to the kitchen to do some chores with some of the tenants._

 _Eventually, Angel was brought to a room on the second floor of the building; Mrs. Morrison knocked on it, and a familiar French woman answered it. "Oui, Madame Morrison?" Cecile inquired as she opened the door._  
 _"Cecile, I'd like you and Kitty to meet your new roommate," said Mrs. Morrison, "This is Angel Wimbledon." Angel smiled shyly and gave a little wave._  
 _In the dormitory room, another familiar face walked up next to Cecile. She was around Angel's age, and she had chocolate brown hair that was tied back in thick curls, and her eyes matched her hair color – it was Kitty. "Mrs. Morrison, is this girl an orphan like I am?" Kitty asked._  
 _Angel glared while Helen chuckled, "No, Kitty, she's not an orphan. She was just sent here by her parents so that she may socialize and get to know you and Cecile. She's been having issues in school, and her parents contacted a psychiatrist; he said that she should stay here for the time being and have the opportunity to interact with the other ladies, and maybe try to soften my daughter's heart." She then gently encouraged Angel to come into the room, even though the young blonde didn't seem to trust her new roommates._

 _After Helen left, Angel shut the door and looked at her new roommates with an uncertain look. "What's wrong, Angel?" Kitty asked with concern._  
 _Angel lowered her head in sadness and said, "Nothing. It's just that when I was younger, I was always bullied. My father told me to ignore those mean kids, and I did, but then I stopped trusting everyone."_  
 _"Why?" asked Cecile._  
 _"Because you never know if they're gonna make fun of you!" Angel answered as tears began to form in her eyes._  
 _"Do not worry," Cecile said with comfort, "Because when I first came here, I was pushed about by Madame Morrison's daughter, Adele – and I still am. She calls me a gypsy, a promiscuous showgirl, and many other hurtful things. It is true that back in the French countryside, I always wanted to go to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, but I never wanted to do anything stupid there. Just perform and meet new people."_  
 _"Speaking of which, I'm the daughter of two late vaudeville performers," added Kitty, "When I first came here, Adele made fun of me by calling me a spoiled show-biz queen. And two years ago, she cut off my long hair to humiliate me!" She then stroked her fingers through her hair, which reminded her of an incident where she back-talked at Adele, and then the mean redhead took a pair of scissors and mercilessly humiliated Kitty by cutting off her curly locks._

 _Angel couldn't stand listening to the other girls' stories of Adele, and then she said with disgust, "Just thinking about that redhead bitch is making me sick! Mark my words, one of these days, I will give her exactly what she deserves!" She calmed down a bit and said, "In the meantime, though, I'll protect you girls and always help you out – even though I don't have complete trust in you right now." Cecile and Kitty agreed with Angel's bargain, and then they smiled at her before they all went to bed._  
 **End of Flashback**

We then go back to 1918, when Angel finished her story as Philip the fennec fox slept in her lap, and all her friends saw that the sun was setting. Cecile, who had woken up from her nap, walked over to give Dusty back his jacket, and then sat down next to Angel. "Are you talking about the women's home?" the French woman asked.  
"Yes," replied Angel, "I'm telling everyone the story of how I came there when I was a teenager."  
"Oh, oui!" said Cecile with a smile, "I remember how I helped you and Kitty with chores, and how you stood up for Mademoiselle Adele that one day!"  
"You know what?" said Angel with a grin, "I think I'll save THAT story for another day! In the meantime, I'm hungry!"  
"Me too," added Ned, "You want me to go catch some bats to eat?"  
Angel gave an uneasy look and said, "Uh, maybe you could catch some roadrunners, instead?"  
"Roadrunners, it is!" said Ned as he got up and began to hunt for the fast desert birds.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 - Blue Shadows**

Later that evening, all the amigos and amigas were sitting around a campfire while eating some freshly caught and roasted roadrunners. "Mmmmm," said Lucky as he finished eating his roadrunner, "Who knew that roadrunners didn't taste so bad?"  
Angel appeared to like eating her roadrunner and said, "Tastes just like chicken!"  
"Oui," agreed Cecile, "Or frog legs!" Dusty looked at her as if she had worms wiggling out of her ears. "Have you ever eaten frog legs, Monsieur Dusty?"  
"Uh… No," Dusty answered with a weak smile.  
Cecile smiled and suggested, "Well maybe someday, we will both go to Paris together, and we will find a fine restaurant with fried frog legs?"  
"I'd take the trip to Paris," said Dusty, "But I think I'll pass on the frog legs."  
As she finished her roadrunner, Kitty asked the men, "So how much closer are we to Hollywood? Because if I'm not mistaken, I think we're getting a little short of cash."  
When they heard this, the amigos decided to form together for a little private discussion. "Guys, Kitty is right," said Ned quietly, "We need to find some way to earn a little extra money. But how?"  
"Well, let's think for a minute," said Lucky, "We're not weaklings! Remember how we convinced the village of Santa Poco to face their 'El Guapos?'"  
"Yes," said Dusty.  
"Well, we should use our skills and let the girls use their skills to face our current 'El Guapo!'"  
All the men thought for a moment, and then Ned snapped his fingers and came up with something. He motioned for his friends to come near him, and then he whispered something to them. "That sounds like a great idea!" said Dusty with excitement, "We'll do it at the next town we're in!"  
"There you go!" said Ned, "We'll just surprise the girls tomorrow morning at breakfast!" So then the amigos went back to sit by the amigas.

About fifteen minutes later, the sun set, and everyone was getting sleepy. Off in the distance, a coyote howl was heard, making Angel tremble a bit. "What was that?" she asked, "Was that a wolf?"  
"Nah, just a coyote," answered Lucky with comfort in his voice, "Are you okay, Angel?"  
"I'm fine," answered Angel, "It's just that I don't feel comfortable sleeping outside."  
"You know what I think helps with feeling uncomfortable?" asked Ned with a smile, "Singing. I remember one song the guys and I sang together when we were sleeping outside." He turned to Lucky and Dusty and asked, "Do you guys think we should sing that song tonight?"  
"I don't see why not," answered Lucky. The amigas all sat close to their respective amigos as Dusty began to sing:

 _Arrows on the moon keep shining_  
 _From the desert sky above_  
 _You know pretty soon_  
 _That big yellow moon_  
 _Will light the way_  
 _Back to the one you love!_

An owl hooted above before it rested on a nearby cactus arm, while a couple of jackrabbits hopped next to Cecile. Then Lucky sang:

 _Blue shadows on the trail_  
 _Little cowboy, close your eyes and dream!_  
 **Lucky and Dusty:** _All of the doggies are in the corral_  
 _All of your work is done!_  
 _Just close your eyes_  
 _And dream, little pal!_  
 _Dream of someone!_

A family of quail and a pronghorn came rested by Angel before the party's horses unexpectedly sang a little melody with the tune. Kitty put her arm around Ned's shoulders as the latter half sang:

 _Blue shadows on the trail_  
 _Soft little glowing from the trees above!_  
 _All the other little cowboys_  
 _Are back in the backhouse now_  
 **All Men:** _So close your eyes_  
 _And dream!_

As the song finished, Angel yawned and laid down on the ground; Lucky laid down next to her. Then, Ned laid down before Kitty rested her head down on his right side. Dusty sat up for a little while after Cecile laid down next to him. "Bonne nuit, Angel," said Cecile, "Bonne nuit, Kitty."  
"Good night, Cecile," Kitty yawned.  
"Good night, Cecile," said Angel softly.  
Then Ned told his amigos, "Good night, Lucky. Good night, Dusty."  
"Good night, Ned," said Dusty.  
"Good night, Ned," Lucky yawned.  
Before lying down himself, Dusty thought about the women's home where the girls lived several years ago. _I hope one of them tells more about that place tomorrow,_ he thought, _We still haven't heard Kitty's point of view or about Adele Morrison._ Dusty kept that thought in mind until he drifted off to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 - A Golden Opportunity**

The next morning, after a breakfast consisting mostly of hawk eggs, the amigos and amigas prepared to continue on their journey to Hollywood. "Girls, I have announcement!" said Lucky as everyone stood by their horses, "We're going to do something special in the next town that we stop at."  
All the women's eyes widened as Angel asked, "What will we do?"  
Lucky just smiled and said, "You girls are gonna perform somewhere in the streets for money!"  
Angel's smile dropped as she inquired, "Okay – first we were showgirls, then you guys promised us we would be actresses, and now you're gonna turn us into GYPSIES?!"  
"Now wait a minute," said Lucky, "I never said ANYTHING about breaking our promises to make you girls movie stars! What I'm saying is that Kitty was right about us being low on cash. That's why I'm going to have you girls sing and dance – that way, people will like it, and they'll give us money!"  
Angel still gave an uninterested look, but Cecile assured her, "Angel, sil vous plais, we still have quite a ways to go before we arrive in Hollywood. We need food, shelter, water, and other supplies. Not to mention care for your little fennec fox."  
Kitty picked up Philip and held him in her arms as she added, "After all, if we're going to be movie stars, we'll have to prove to the people of Hollywood that we have excellent performance skills."  
Angel looked at her friends, and then at the amigos. Finally, she sighed, "Okay. We'll do this – we are going to be superstars, after all!"  
"That's the spirit!" said Lucky, "Now let's go, amigos – and amigas!" He and the others mounted their horses and continued northwest.

A few hours later, the amigos and amigas were almost out of Arizona, but their heads hung low. Every village and town they went to, no one wanted them performing on the streets, because all the commoners looked at our heroes and heroines as common street rats and gypsies. Along the way, the amigos and amigas caught roadrunners and stored them for food supplies while drinking water from cacti. That evening, everyone arrived in Yuma, which was close to the California border. On one of the streets, the amigos saw something that caught their eyes; Lucky held up his hand to halt the others and said, "Look at this!"  
What the amigos and amigas saw was a large tavern; over the main door, there was a large banner that said:

 _ **Variety Show Tonight!**_  
 _ **We Are Looking for All Kinds of Talent**_  
 _ **Public Welcome to Perform**_  
 _ **We Provide Costumes and Instruments if Necessary**_  
 _ **Winner is Rewarded with Fifty Dollars!**_  
 _ **Ladies Drink for Free!**_

"You see that, girls?" said Dusty with a grin, "You can have free beer!"  
"No, Dusty!" said Lucky, "This variety show is our ticket to success – well, part of it, anyway!"  
The women saw the banner with great enthusiasm, and Angel said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on, girls! Let's show everyone what we can do!" So everyone dismounted their horses, tied the harness ropes to a nearby pole, and then went inside the tavern.

Inside the tavern, the amigos and amigas met the tavern owner, who was a middle-aged man. When he saw Lucky, Dusty and Ned, he asked with surprise, "Aren't you guys the…"  
The amigos chuckled and Lucky said, "Yes, we are the…" He winked his eye to indicate that he and his friends were indeed the Three Amigos.  
"I've heard of you guys!" said the tavern owner, "You guys are those famous movie stars! So what brings you here?"  
"Well," said Ned with a smile, "We have three lovely young ladies who would like to sing and dance for you."  
Angel, Cecile and Kitty all stepped in front of the tavern man with shy smiles. "And you ladies are the Three Amigas, aren't you?" the tavern owner asked with enthusiasm.  
"Um, yes," said Angel.  
"You're those travelling showgirls who are very popular here in the southwest USA, aren't you? Well, how'd you like to dress up a bit and perform a little song for this audience tonight?"  
The amigas all looked at each other with ecstatic grins, and Cecile answered, "Oh, mais oui!" So then, the tavern owner led the amigas to a ladies' dressing room, and the amigas all went inside.  
Soon the tavern owner went back to the amigos, and then told them, "If you guys wouldn't mind, the show is starting in a few minutes. You should stay here and watch!"  
Lucky winked at him and said, "Oh, believe me – we will!"  
A few minutes later, the amigos sat in three good seats within the tavern's main hall, and waited for the show to begin…


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 - The Amigas' Dance**

The curtain rose, and all the members of the audience clapped. For the first fifteen minutes, the amigos experienced mostly some pretty good singers, comedians, and jugglers; however, there were instances where some audience members threw a tomato or two at bad performers. When Ned saw those, he became sad, because it reminded him of Kitty's humiliation incident he was told about. Eventually, the emcee announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen – we now have the moment with the stars you've been waiting for – the Three Amigas!"  
The crowd applauded and cheered as Angel, Cecile and Kitty walked onto the stage. Each of the women were dressed in matching, lovely, dancing dresses in their respective signature colors, along with flat shoes, necklaces, finger-cut gloves, and tiaras; they also had dancing ribbons and tambourines in their hands. As the music played, Angel danced while playing her tambourine and singing:

 _Hey, soldier boy_  
 _I see how you stare!_  
 _Hey butcher man_  
 _I see you admire!_  
 _Come gather round,_  
 _Hey, Jacques and Pierre!_  
 _Come see me dance_  
 _To the rhythm of the tambourine!_

As Angel twirled her dancing ribbon, Cecile stepped forward while kicking up her ankle, flipping her skirt. Then she began to sing:

 _Flash of an ankle_  
 _Flip of a skirt!_  
 _Feel them excite_  
 _And flame and inspire!_  
 _Come, see me dance_  
 _Hey, what can it hurt?_  
 _It's just a dance_  
 _To the rhythm of the tambourine!_

All the amigas then stepped fashionably as they clapped their tambourines several times. After that, they spun around in circles with their ribbons; their skirts and petticoats floated along with them. In the audience, the Three Amigos began to sing in their heads about the girls.

 **Lucky:** _These girls, who are they?_  
 **Dusty:** _These girls, who are they?_  
 **Ned:** _These girls, who are they?_  
 **Dusty:** _They dance like the Devil himself!_  
 **Lucky:** _They dance like living angels!_  
 **Ned:** _Living angels!_  
 **Dusty:** _But with such fire!_  
 **Lucky:** _Such fire!_  
 **All:** _Who are they?_

Just then, Kitty danced a bit as she unexpectedly sang:

 _Men of Yuma!_  
 _Before we get old_  
 _Come feel the heat_  
 _Come taste the desire!_  
 _Feel them within you_  
 _Crimson and gold!_  
 _Gold like the coins_  
 _You will toss into my tambourine! (winks at Ned)_  
 **All girls:** _When we dance to the rhythm of the tambourine!_

After they danced, the women finished with a bow, making the crowd go wild with excitement! People tossed roses and coins to the amigas, and all the amigos applauded and cheered. Ned especially felt happy and proud, for when Kitty winked at him, he knew that he had given her the confidence to sing in public again.

For the next half hour, the amigos watched the rest of the variety show with faith and hope that their amigas would win the grand prize of fifty dollars (which was quite a bit of money back in 1918). At the end of the last act, the emcee announced, "Okay now, ladies and gentlemen! Now is the time we announce our winners! We will have three of them, so everybody give me a drumroll!" All the members in the audience tapped their fingers on their tables to represent a drumroll as the emcee called out, "In third place, we have the Foolish Fettuccinis with their acrobatic moves! Congratulations on winning twenty dollars!" A trio of acrobats came up to the stage to collect their reward while the crowd cheered.  
After the Foolish Fettuccinis left the stage with their reward, the emcee announced, "Let's hear another drumroll for our second place winner!" The audience members tapped their fingers again until the emcee announced, "Coming in second place with a reward of forty dollars is… Madame Le Plume with her angelic voice!" More applauds and cheers came as an overweight woman walked onto the stage. While they watched her claim her reward, the amigos kept on praying that their amigas would win first prize.  
Finally, the emcee announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen! Let's have a very long drumroll for our big winner… the winner of the fifty dollar grand prize…" Everyone in the crowd, including the amigos, tapped their fingers yet again, anticipating on a good winner. Then, the emcee announced, "Our winner of tonight's variety show is….. the Three Amigas with their gorgeous dance moves and beautiful singing voices!" The audience went wild with cheering and clapping, and Lucky Day felt his heart skip a beat for happiness. Dusty Bottoms, meanwhile, whistled in excitement at the announcement; Ned Nederlander cried tears of happiness, knowing that it was Kitty's singing that helped made the amigas win first prize.

After they claimed their reward, the women walked into the audience to see the amigos. Angel came up to Lucky with a smile and said, "I'm so glad you spotted this opportunity! Maybe now we could find a suitable inn to stay at? That would be so comfortable." At the last sentence, she caressed Lucky's cheek with her finger before going back to the dressing room to change outfits.  
Cecile approached Dusty and kissed him on the cheek before she said, "This was one of the best nights I've ever had in my entire life. Merci!"  
As the French woman went to the dressing room to change, Dusty blushed and chuckled, "Y-you're welcome, Cecile."  
Kitty walked up to Ned with her face flushed with tears of happiness. "I see you're happy, too," she said when she saw Ned's face wet from happy-crying, "I just want to thank you for being here to give me confidence to sing again." She kissed him on the cheek and then whispered something in his ear before she went back to change clothes. Ned just gave a big grin.

Author's Note: The song "Rhythm of the Tambourine" is from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame stage musical. ((c) Disney)


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 - Kitty and Ned's Passionate Night**

 _ **WARNING: This chapter contains sexual themes and nudity. Viewer discretion is advised.**_

Later that night, the amigos and amigas had spent part of their newly earned money to stay at a suitable inn for the night. In their bedroom, the amigos were lounging about after a long and successful day. Then Ned remembered something and said, "Guys, earlier this evening, Kitty said that she and I would like to have a little alone time. She wants me to meet her in the amigas' room pretty soon, is that okay?"  
Lucky and Dusty looked at each other before Lucky said with a smile, "All right, Ned. But don't do anything stupid with her, okay?"  
"I promise," Ned chuckled; he then went out through the bedroom door, and made his way to the amigas' bedroom.

In their bedroom, the women were also relaxing when Kitty brought up a similar subject. "Ladies," she asked, "Do you mind sleeping in the same room as the amigos? I want to have a little alone time with Ned. I think we're ready for it."  
"Ready for what?" Angel inquired.  
"Oh, you know," replied Kitty with a shy grin, "The big night – the time where we wanna be close to each other."  
Angel looked at Cecile, and the two of them could tell what Kitty and Ned wanted to do. Philip the fennec fox covered his eyes with his fluffy tail. "Oh, it's okay, Philip," said Angel with comfort in her voice, "We're going to be sleeping in the same room as the amigos – that way, you won't see any of the action."  
"Not to worry, Kitty," said Cecile, "Of course we will give you two some alone time. Just don't do anything you'd want to regret later!"  
Kitty winked her eye and replied, "Of course not. I've got a little something for him." With those words, Kitty bade her friends good night, and the two other women took Philip and made their way to the amigos' bedroom.

Kitty was at her vanity doing a few touch-ups when there came a knock at the door. When she was finished, the brunette opened the door and saw Ned. "Hi," she said with a meek smile.  
Ned smiled back and replied, "Hi. Are you nervous?"  
"A little bit," said Kitty, "You see, all the other men who've talked to me and tried to make out with me only cared about my looks. But you – you're much different. I want to do this, but I also don't want to do it."  
Ned gently put his hand on her shoulder and reassured her, "Hey, hey, it's okay. Being an actor, I get to kiss a lot of women, but I've never actually done it, either. It'll be a new experience for both of us!" He then leaned in the kiss her, and Kitty held his hands and shared the kiss. Little by little, the kissing became more passionate as the brunette girl led Mr. Nederlander into the bedroom and onto one of the beds. Ned removed his jacket and set it down on the floor, then he and Kitty removed their shoes.

Kitty loosened Ned's suspender straps from his shoulders while he undid the lacings on the back of her dress; next, Kitty removed her locket from her neck while Ned undid his red cravat. The brunette removed the auburn-haired amigo's shirt, waist sash, and belt while Ned helped Kitty slide out of the outer layer of her dress. In a matter of a few short minutes, Kitty removed Ned's pants while he removed her petticoat; Kitty was now wearing only a corset and a pair of panties while Ned had on a white undershirt and red and white striped boxers. "Oh, I've got something for you," Kitty whispered after she kissed Ned on the cheek. She reached over to the opposite side of the bed and gave what we now know as a condom to Ned.  
"Oh, thank you, Miss Kitty," said Ned as he undid her corset, revealing her bare chest. While he removed his undershirt, Kitty removed her panties; Ned then removed his shorts and covered himself with the condom before he got back into bed with Kitty.

After forty-five minutes of tongue wrestling, passionate kissing, satisfied moaning, nipple caressing, and a little bit of "missionary" action, Kitty and Ned were lying next to each other underneath the sheets. "That was the best experience I've ever had in my life," said Kitty, "And you're really the best man I've ever met in my life besides my father."  
Ned smiled affectionately at her and said, "Why thank you, Kitty. I really do care about you, you know."  
Kitty leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before she started singing:

 _Every now and then_  
 _We find a special friend_  
 _Who never lets us down_  
 _Who understands it all_  
 _Reaches out each time you fall_  
 _You're the best friend that I've found!_

Ned sat up in bed as Kitty continued singing:

 _I know you can't stay_  
 _A part of you will never_  
 _Ever go away_  
 _Your heart will stay!_

Kitty sat up while covering her breasts with the bedsheets as she continued singing:

 _I'll make a wish for you_  
 _And hope it will come true!_  
 _That life would just be kind_  
 _To such a gentle mind!_  
 _If you lose your way_  
 _Think back on yesterday_  
 _Remember me this way! (2x)_

Kitty put her arm around Ned's shoulders and continued singing:

 _I don't need eyes to see_  
 _The love you bring to me_  
 _No matter where I go!_  
 _And I know that you'll be there_  
 _Forever more a part of me_  
 _You're everywhere_  
 _I'll always care!_

In their room, the other women and men heard Kitty's singing and Dusty commented, "Sounds like they're really into it!"  
"Yeah," said Lucky, "I think they're so into it that they're having a singing contest in there!"  
The girls looked them as if they had spiders crawling out of their ears.

 **Kitty:** _I'll make a wish for you_  
 _And hope it will come true!_  
 _That life will just be kind_  
 _To such a gentle mind!_  
 _If you lose your way_  
 _Think back on yesterday_  
 _Remember me this way! (2x)_

Kitty hugged Ned, placing her ear to his chest to hear his heartbeat as she kept singing:

 _And I'll be right behind_  
 _Your shoulder watching you!_  
 _I'll be standing by your side_  
 _And all you do!_  
 _And I won't ever leave_  
 _As long as you believe!_

Then Ned began to sing:

 _Just believe!_  
 _I'll make a wish for you_  
 _And hope it will come true!_  
 _That life will just be kind_  
 _To such a gentle mind!_  
 **Both:** _If you lose your way,_  
 _Think back on yesterday_  
 _Remember me this way! (2x)_  
 _Oooohhh… this way._

The two of them shared one last kiss before Kitty blew out the candle on the table that was on her side of the bed. Then, they went to sleep and dreamed happy dreams.

Author's Note: The song "Remember Me This Way" is from the 1995 movie Casper. ((c) Universal)


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 - An Angry Morning After**

The next morning, Ned woke up, got out of bed, and put on one of the inn's dressing gowns. He decided to let Kitty sleep in a little bit after the romantic night of intercourse, so he picked up his clothes and came back to the other room where his fellow amigos and the other amigas were spending the night. He knocked on the door, and a sleepy Dusty Bottoms answered it. "So how'd it go last night?" Dusty asked.  
"Oh, it was wonderful!" Ned said with a smile.  
"We heard you and Kitty singing last night," added Dusty, "Were you two having a dance party in the raw last night?"  
Ned grimaced and said, "No! What do you think we are? Cavemen?"  
Lucky sat up in his bed and saw Ned. Then he added, "Sounds like you got a pretty good lay. I wish Angel would've let me have one. But I guess she isn't ready!"  
"Same thing with Cecile," added Dusty with a chuckle.  
"I thought you guys respectively didn't like those girls!" said Ned.  
"Well we do now!" said Lucky with a chuckle. Dusty joined in as Ned went behind a screen to wash up and put on his clothes.

Meanwhile, back in the other bedroom, Kitty woke up and found Ned gone. "He must've gone back to his buddies," she yawned, "Oh well, I'll be sure to tell him that last night was awesome." She got out of bed and then went behind a screen to wash up and get dressed. A few minutes later, Kitty was waiting for her fellow amigas to return when she noticed her favorite book. "Hmmm," she said to herself, "I suppose I should get caught up on my reading a little bit." When she opened the book, a piece of paper fell out and landed in her lap – Ned's love note! Kitty looked at what it said, but then she frowned. "That lovesick bastard!" she growled as she threw her book down on the bed, "I'm gonna give him a piece of MY mind now!" She then got up and angrily walked to the door.

At the amigos' bedroom, Cecile and Angel were just waking up when they saw Ned in his amigo outfit. "How was your big night last night?" Angel asked with a yawn.  
"Oh, it was great!" Ned grinned, "It was the best night of our lives!"  
Cecile was about to say something, but there came a knock at the door; Lucky answered it, and was surprised to see Kitty with a glare on her face. "Ned!" she said with a sharp tongue, "We need to talk about something!"  
Ned was also shocked to see his love interest angry, so he asked his friends, "Will you guys excuse me for a minute?" Everyone nodded, and Ned went out the door with Kitty.

Ned and Kitty walked down the hall until they came to the amigas' bedroom. "Go inside," Kitty ordered as she opened the door. Ned hesitated at first, but then he went into the room with a worried look on his face. The brunette girl went through the door before she slammed it angrily.  
"Kitty, I don't understand," Ned said with concern, "I thought you had fun with me last night!"  
"You know what? I thought I did, too!" Kitty replied. She then picked up the love note and angrily inquired, "What is this?"  
Ned looked at the note and said, "Why, it's a love note I gave to you when we first met. I thought you looked at it right away."  
"Well, I didn't, Ned Nederlander!" said Kitty with a frown, "Now listen to this: You are a vision of loveliness; Your hair and eyes give me taste; An appetite for chocolate; But let's not make haste! I see a mirage in the desert; Are you real? Are you living? Your body reminds me of a nymph; To me, your beauty is giving! So you really only do care about what I look like, don't you?"  
Ned speechlessly stammered, "What? N-n-n-n-no! Kitty, this note…"  
"Was just a seduction poem so that you could have sex with me?" Kitty asked with anger, "I knew it! You're just like the other countless guys who've tried hitting on me, only because they like my appearance and nothing else!"  
"Kitty, please!" said Ned, "The only reason I fell in love with you besides your appearance is the fact that you needed help. I saved your life that one night, and I gave you confidence to sing in public again! So now I don't really care about your looks anymore – what matters is the fact that you're such a caring person who needed help, and I gave it to you!"  
"STOP IT!" Kitty snapped furiously, "From the very beginning, when we first met, all you did was LIE to me! You were just playing Mr. Nice Guy, because you only cared about my appearance! And last night, I not only believed you, but I actually had SEX with you! I should've just listened to the thoughts and warnings in my head that you're just another sick woman hunter after my beauty!" She groaned and walked over to the door.  
Ned felt a deep pain in his heart, and he tried reasoning, "Kitty, you don't understand! I was never playing Mr. Nice Guy. Just because I'm an actor, that doesn't mean…"  
"NO!" Kitty yelled with rage, "I've heard enough dishonesty out of your big, fat, pompous mouth! So why don't you just sit in a slurry pit and leave me alone!" Ned came up to her and touched her on the shoulder, but Kitty turned around and gave him a hard slap across his face!

As he watched the brunette storm away out the door, Ned tried to explain something to her, but the door slammed right in his face. Poor Ned could feel tears of heartbreak, betrayal, and hurt as he made his way out of the room and over to the room of his friends. Angel and Cecile, who had heard the outburst, noticed Kitty storming down the hallway as she fought back tears of anger, regret, and guilt. "I'd better go check on Kitty," said Cecile with worry as she went out the door.  
Angel, Lucky and Dusty just watched Ned fling himself onto one of the beds and cry into a pillow. "I think we should leave him alone for a few minutes," whispered Angel. Everyone else agreed as they also went out into the hallway.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 - Ned and Kitty Make Up**

Eventually, Cecile found Kitty outside on a bench, crying into a handkerchief. "Kitty, what happened a few minutes ago?" Cecile asked with pity.  
Kitty looked up and sobbed, "None of your business!"  
"But Kitty, I am your friend," said Cecile, "You can tell me anything."  
The brunette blew her nose into the hankie, took a deep breath, and then said, "Okay. This morning, I just found out that Ned only cared about what I look like. I knew it all along! Why was I so naive to trust him?" She then started crying again, this time into Cecile's shoulder.  
"Oh, what makes you think that?" Cecile asked with concern.  
Kitty weakly put her hand into her dress pocket and pulled out the love note from Ned. "Read this!" she sobbed as she gave Cecile the note.  
Cecile looked at the note and said, "Oh, I think he was trying to impress you at first. I can tell that he is a ladies' man, being a Hollywood actor and all – but I also think that he wanted to get to know you better."  
"If he wanted to get to know me, why didn't he just tell me?" Kitty asked with a lump in her throat.  
"Well, he was probably just being shy," replied Cecile with a smile, "That's the way it is with most men – sometimes they're too scared to admit their feelings when they meet a girl – but deep down, I can tell that he really did care about you. Think, Kitty. Do you think Ned would save your life that one night if he didn't care about you? Do you think he'd listen to your humiliation story if he didn't have feelings for you? Do you think he would have given you back your confidence to sing in front of people if he didn't love you?"  
Kitty ceased her crying as she listened to Cecile's advice. She remembered the night when she told everyone of her humiliation incident, and of how Ned comforted her; she remembered the night when she almost died while sleepwalking, but Ned saved her life; lastly, she remembered the previous night how she had the confidence to sing in front of the audience, making her friends win lots of money. "Oh my God, I feel awful!" said Kitty, "I shouldn't have lashed out at Ned. I should've just listened to my heart and not my brains!"  
"That's the Kitty I know!" said Cecile with a smile, "Now I think we should go back and check on Ned." So she and Kitty walked back into the inn and made their way to the Three Amigos' bedroom.

Ned, meanwhile, had just finished crying his eyes out on one of the beds when he heard a knock on the door. He slowly walked over to the door with red eyes and then opened it. Cecile and Kitty were there. "Cecile, what is she doing here?" Ned asked with a lump in his throat, "Is she here to yell at me again?"  
"No, Ned," said Kitty, "I'm just here to apologize for my outburst earlier. I was just being naive by listening to my brains and not my heart. I thought about all the other men I've met who only cared about my appearance, and when I saw that note, I thought you were going to do the same."  
"Well, I wasn't!" said Ned as a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks, "I was just trying to be nice, because back in Hollywood, I never had a real girlfriend or wife. When I first saw you, I thought you were very beautiful, and overtime, after I knew you better, I felt loving feelings about you – and now those feelings are crushed because of you!" He then started crying again.  
"Ned, please!" said Kitty with worry, "Try to understand. I was just having an outburst, and I want you to know that I'm sorry! That sex with you last night was truly the best thing that ever happened in my life, and I shouldn't have gotten angry over a stupid note!" She hugged him as she continued, "No matter what, Ned, I really love and care about you. I want you to be with me all the time – even when we reach Hollywood, I want someone to guide me and give me more confidence."  
Ned looked at Cecile, who only smiled at him, indicating that everything was going to be all right. He immediately stopped crying and hugged Kitty back before he said, "Okay. I forgive you, Kitty. After all, I wouldn't want you to stay mad at me forever."  
"I know," Kitty said with a smile, "Now let's go catch up with the others and pay the bill, shall we?" So the three friends all went downstairs to meet Lucky, Dusty and Angel to pay the bill and move on.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 - Future Plans**

Meanwhile, in another part of Yuma, El Loco and his men were sitting in an alley while foraging for any uneaten food in the trash pile. "Aye mami," said Antonio with a yawn, "I haven't had any decent food since… eh, Miguel, when was the last time we had decent food?"  
Miguel scratched his head and said, "Eh… I don't know. Two or three years ago, I imagine."  
"Two years!" exclaimed El Loco, who was eavesdropping, "The last time was when my hermano and all his henchmen were still around!" He recalled the good old days when El Guapo and his men would let El Loco enjoy hot meals every so often. But since El Guapo and his men were defeated, El Loco gathered Miguel and Antonio to wander on their own, foraging for the scraps of food left behind by other people. "If it weren't for those amigos," El Loco continued, "We'd all still be feasting on tamales and tacos!"  
"I'm getting hungry thinking about those," commented Miguel. Antonio nodded in agreement.  
"Shut up, you fools!" shouted El Loco, "We'll get our tamales and tacos – just you see! Because sooner or later, those amigos and amigas are either gonna die, or they're gonna be working with a new kind of manager!"  
"And who will that be?" asked Antonio, "Someone in Hollywood?"  
"NO!" El Loco yelled, whacking Antonio on the head with his fist, "Me! Now let us ride!"  
"But what about breakfast?" asked Miguel. El Loco groaned as he and the others mounted their horses and traveled away from Yuma.

In the meantime, the amigos and amigas had just finished crossing a shallow part of the Colorado River, and were now in the state of California! "Well, ladies, welcome to California!" Lucky announced with a big grin on his face.  
Everyone else cheered before Angel asked, "So how long will it be before we get to Hollywood?"  
"Well, if the weather stays nice," said Lucky, "And if everything goes good, we should be there within two or three days!"  
"That's good," said Kitty, "Because I really hope the people there will let us ladies in!"  
"Me too," agreed Cecile, "That way, I will be able to prove that I can socialize easily in an urban crowd!" Her smiled dropped a little bit as she began to think about her parents, and regretted running away from them, even out of anger when she was a teen.  
"Cecile, are you okay?" Angel asked when she saw her friend with a sad face.  
"Oh, I'm just remembering the night I ran away from home," Cecile said, "I feel like I should write a letter to my parents and apologize for my actions."  
"Maybe at the next town, you can do that," suggested Angel with a smile. Cecile smiled back at her friend as they kept on riding their horses with the others.

Later that night, the amigos and amigas were camping near a creek. As the campfire they were sitting at burned, Kitty thought of a good story to tell the amigos and amigas. "I never did tell you about what it was like living at the women's home from my perspective," she said to everyone.  
"Oh, that's right!" Angel said as she snapped her fingers. She gently placed Philip the fox in her lap and suggested to the brunette, "Maybe you can go first, and then Cecile and I will tell more stories about it tomorrow?"  
"That sounds like a good plan," agreed Kitty.  
As the amigos came to sit nearer to Kitty, Ned asked, "So what did happen to you and the others while you were there?"  
Kitty took a deep breath, and then said, "I'll tell you."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 - Kitty's Memory of Adele**

 **Flashback: Sacramento, California, 1899**  
 _Kitty was a thirteen-year-old orphan who was sent to live in the women's shelter by her last living relative, her uncle Johnny; Johnny had no prior experience in raising children, so he thought it would be best for his niece to live in a place where he believed she would be happy and safe. Upon arriving at the front door of the home, Kitty knocked, and Mrs. Helen Morrison answered. "Hello," she greeted as she looked Kitty over, "Are you Miss Katerina Katzenberg, daughter of the late vaudeville performers?"_  
 _Kitty shyly nodded._  
 _"Come on in then," Helen gently instructed, "I will introduce you to my daughter, Adele, and a nice French lady who will probably take an instant liking to you!" So she took Kitty's hand and led her through the door before closing it._

 _Once inside, Kitty noticed a familiar red-haired teen girl with blue eyes. "Adele," Helen said to her daughter once she closed the door, "I'd like you to meet Katerina Katzenberg. She is an orphan who was sent here to live with us until she is ready."_  
 _"For what?" Adele asked with a frown._  
 _"Oh, you know," replied Helen, "Ready for the day when she decides to do things on her own."_  
 _Kitty gently tugged Helen's dress and said quietly, "If it's alright with you, Miss, I'd like to be called Kitty. That's what my parents used to call me."_  
 _"Meow," Adele said under her breath with a smirk._  
 _Helen gave a stern look and cleared her throat at Adele. But then she smiled and said to Kitty, "Very well, Kitty it is. Now follow me, and I'll let you meet the French lady." Kitty gave a small smile as she followed Mrs. Morrison. Adele just scowled at her, because she was immediately jealous of her beauty._

 _A few minutes later, Helen saw Cecile (who was in her early twenties at the time) doing a few chores in the living room. "Pardon me, Cecile," said Helen with a smile, "But there's a newcomer I'd like you to meet."_  
 _Cecile stopped dusting a bookshelf, and looked at Helen, who had the newcomer with her at her side. "Oh, bonjour!" Cecile said cheerfully to Kitty, "My name is Cecile. I've stayed her since I was a teen, and I really enjoy it here. Someday, if I find a good talent agent, I'm going to move out and be a star!"_  
 _As the French girl laughed gleefully, Helen remarked, "Now, Cecile, let's not get too carried away with our goals in life. Anyway, this girl is named Kitty Katzenberg. She is an orphan who has nowhere else to go."_  
 _Kitty smiled at Cecile and said, "My parents were vaudeville performers. Maybe sometime I'll give you some showbiz advice?"_  
 _"Merci, I would like that," replied Cecile. The French girl turned to Mrs. Morrison and asked, "Madame Morrison, do you mind if Kitty stayed with me?"_  
 _Helen thought for a while and then said, "Alright, Cecile. Kitty may stay in your room, as long as nothing risky happens in there."_  
 _Cecile gasped and giggled, "Oh, nothing will! I promise you, Madame."_  
 _Kitty crossed her heart with her finger. Cecile then led Kitty to her bedroom, where the brunette girl made herself at home very easily._

 _Over the next several days, Kitty began to bond with Cecile and look up to her as a sister-type figure. Cecile even told Kitty about Adele – how she went from being a sweetheart to a spoiled brat – and how trying to reason with her was out of the question. Meanwhile, Adele became more and more jealous of Kitty's charms and beauty every day. One evening, all the women in the home were sitting in the dining room, eating supper together. Kitty and Cecile were sitting with Adele. Adele was eating soup when suddenly, she began gagging and coughing. She spat into her napkin and then cried, "This soup had a fly in it!" Kitty and Cecile couldn't help but giggle at the scene. When she regained herself, Adele angrily inquired Kitty, "Oh, so you think it's funny, huh? Well, meet me in my bathroom after dinner!"_  
 _Cecile tried to warn Kitty about what might happen, but Kitty was more worried about what would happen if she didn't follow Adele's orders._

 _After supper, Kitty met Adele in her bathroom and asked, "So what do you want with me?"_  
 _"A little bit of payback for being Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes!" sneered Adele as she picked up a pair of scissors. "You have such beautiful hair, Miss Katzenberg," taunted Adele, "And I've always wanted curls like yours!"_  
 _"No, wait!" cried Kitty, "Don't do it!" But it was too late. Adele began to mercilessly humiliate Kitty by cutting off her curly, chocolate-brown locks. All Kitty could do was cry in front of the mirror._  
 _When she was finished, Adele had cut off Kitty's locks and left her with short, messy hair. "I cut that symbol of your vanity right off, didn't I?" Adele smirked, "Now get out of my sight!"_  
 **End of Flashback**

We then cut back to 1918, in which Kitty had concluded her story to the amigos. "When Mrs. Helen Morrison saw what happened to me," Kitty said, "She felt sorry for me. She assured me that my hair would grow back in a matter of time, and then she punished Adele with a full week of working alongside Cecile."  
Cecile giggled and said with sarcasm, "I sure gave her a fun time, then!"  
Meanwhile, Ned looked at Kitty with sympathy and said, "Gee, Kitty, sounds like you've been through a lot."  
Kitty looked at him and said, "I sure have. But I'm glad that now, I have you around to help me out and keep me company." She went over to him and hugged him with a smile.  
Lucky yawned and said, "You know what? The fire is dying, and I think we should get some sleep. We still have quite a while before we reach Hollywood."  
"I think so, too," agreed Dusty. He looked at Cecile and asked, "Do you think that you'll be able to tell more about the ladies' home tomorrow?"  
"I think so. Bonne nuit, Dusty," Cecile said with a smile. She then lay down next to Angel and Philip, and then drifted off to sleep. After everyone bade each other good night, all went quiet except for some crickets chirping, an owl hooting, and a coyote howling off in the distance.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 - Another Distance, Another Mishap**

The next morning, the amigos and amigas had finished cleaning their campsite, gathering water, and then tended to their horses to continue their quest for Hollywood. It was a beautiful day, but the temperature was high. "Oh boy!" Angel said with a heavy sigh, "I hope I don't have to take off my skirts along the way with all this heat!"  
"I hope so, too!" agreed Kitty.  
"I don't think that'll happen, ladies," Lucky said to them as he filled up his canteen with cactus water, "Because this cactus water should keep us all nice and refreshed." He then went over and helped Angel mount her horse, while everyone else began to scout about for anything that may have been forgotten. Lucky and Angel looked at each other with smiles before Lucky cleared his throat and said, "Um, Angel?"  
"Yes?" Angel asked as her smile dropped a little bit.  
"I need to tell you… um…"  
"Yes?" Angel asked again with a raised brow.  
Lucky sighed and finished, "You and the other girls are doing great. I know you're all gonna be great movie stars." No matter how confident he felt around Angel, he couldn't confess that he and his other amigos were no longer movie stars, and may not be let into Hollywood after a long and hard journey.  
"Thanks," Angel replied to him with a small smile.

In the meantime, Cecile saw Philip sleeping beside a rock, so she gently picked him up and walked over to Angel and her horse. The French woman told her friend, "Angel, I have a friend for you who should keep you company on today's journey."  
Angel gently took Philip in her arms and replied, "Oh, thanks, Cecile. And I think Philip will thank you, too. I don't know what he'd do if he were lost out here in the desert without any friends!" The fennec fox woke up and licked his mistress's fingers. Angel giggled and said, "See what I mean?"  
"I do!" Cecile replied with a smile, "But for now, I should get back to helping Dusty pack some supplies."  
"Alright, then!" Angel replied. So Cecile went back to assisting Dusty with rolling up blankets.

Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon, the amigos and amigas kept trotting on their way to Hollywood. Along the way, they managed to avoid rattlesnakes, scorpions, blazing hot temperatures, a small sandstorm, and other obstacles. At one point in the afternoon Dusty remembered something; he said to Cecile, "Um, Cecile, I think last night you mentioned that you wanted to tell us more about the women's home. Is that true?"  
Cecile chuckled and replied, "I think that was Angel and Kitty's idea. But of course, I will tell later at suppertime!"  
"Later?" Dusty asked as he rode closer to the French woman, "Couldn't you tell me now?"  
Cecile playfully made her horse butt Dusty's horse a little bit and replied, "No, you silly goose! Do you not see we are busy travelling to a certain city of fame?"  
"Well, yes, but I was wondering…"  
"Dusty, Cecile's story can wait," Angel told him with a smirk, "In the meantime, I think you should pay attention to where you're going." Her expression became a concerned one when she saw that Dusty was headed right towards a large cactus with a low branch. "Watch out!" Angel cried. But it was too late – Dusty looked on right when the cactus's spines struck him in the forehead, making him fall off his horse and cry out in pain!

The other amigos and amigas saw what happened, so they stopped their horses and came over to help Dusty. "Dusty, are you okay?" Lucky asked his friend as he helped his comrade sit up.  
Dusty moaned and rubbed his head, only to discover cactus spines on his forehead. "Ouch!" he cried, "What the hell happened?"  
Angel put her hands on her hips and said, "I warned you, Dusty, to look where you were going instead of looking at your girlfriend. See what happens?"  
Dusty scowled and remarked, "I never said Cecile was my…"  
"Oh, Dusty!" Cecile laughed, "Admit it! Remember that one night when we sang and danced under the stars?"  
"I don't see anything funny about this injury, Cecile!" Dusty said with a groan.  
"Oh, of course not!" Cecile said, "I'd say we should stop and tend to Dusty's wound, no?"  
"Absolutely!" added Ned, "We certainly don't want Dusty to look like a bleeding hedgehog when we get to Hollywood, right?" All the others laughed at Ned's remark, except for Dusty.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 - The Story of a Hard Life**

After his injury, Dusty had a hard time staying still while Cecile plucked the cactus spines from his forehead. "Yowch!" Dusty cried when Cecile pulled one spine out, "Ouch! That hurts!"  
"Well, if you had looked where you were going, this cactus run-in wouldn't have happened," Cecile remarked with an irritated look as she pulled out another spine.  
Kitty came over to the two with a wet washcloth just as Cecile pulled the last two spines out of Dusty's head. "If you thought that pain was bad, you haven't felt the stinging sensation of soapy water yet," Kitty told Dusty with a sly grin.  
"Don't remind me!" Dusty winced. He then groaned in pain as Cecile compressed the wet rag onto her sweetheart's forehead.  
"Do you know what I think will make you better?" the French woman asked, "Another flashback story."  
Lucky, Ned and Angel walked closer to Cecile, Dusty and Kitty to hear more. "Yes, please tell us, mademoiselle," Ned insisted with a smile.  
Cecile took a clean handkerchief from her skirt pocket to dress Dusty's wound with a small, sad smile and said, "Very well, I will tell you about the last couple of years that the other amigas and I went through at the women's home."

 **Flashback: Sacramento, 1906**  
 _Angel, Cecile and Kitty were helping a very ill Helen Morrison at the women's shelter one day. Helen had what most people know today as cervical cancer, and she was getting sicker and sicker every day, even though Adele and the other women did the best they could to help her. On this particular day, the sky was gray, and a rain storm was brewing in the air. While dusting a bookshelf, Cecile looked out the window and said, "Sacre-bleau! It looks like we are in for the fourth or fifth rainy day we've had in a row!"_  
 _Angel, who was sweeping the floor nearby, added, "I wish the sun would come out of hiding soon, because I think Mrs. Morrison is longing for the sunshine right now. She's been getting poorer and poorer these last few days."_  
 _Just then, the two ladies heard the sound of glass breaking from Helen's upstairs bedroom! It wasn't long before Adele came running down the staircase, crying, "Ladies! Ladies! My mother's breathing is getting shallow!"_  
 _Angel and Cecile knew something was wrong, so they ran upstairs as they followed Adele, and Kitty and several other young women followed close behind._

 _Up in her bedroom, Helen was lying down in her bed with a pale and tired look on her face. She coughed a little bit as Adele and the other women arrived. Adele stepped into her mother's room slowly, and the others tried following her. "Stay back and give Mother some air!" Helen's daughter snapped; the other women did as they were told, and watched silently with fear in their eyes. Cecile was especially frightened, because Helen was one of her closest friends ever since she ran away from her parents in the Midwest. Adele sat down on the bed, and softly said as she touched Helen's forehead with her hand, "Mother, I'm here. Please be okay."_  
 _"Adele," Helen said slowly, "I'm afraid… I don't have much time left here… in this world."_  
 _Adele's eyes widened with fear and sadness as she said, "No! Mother, I want you to stay with me and help. I want you to keep taking care of the women – I'm sure you'll be better tomorrow!"_  
 _"I'm afraid there… there won't be a tomorrow for me," Helen coughed, "I want to see… Angel, Cecile… and Kitty one last time. They-they are such nice young ladies… and I want to say goodbye to them."_  
 _Adele looked at the amigas and motioned for them to join her. Cecile sadly looked down at Helen and whispered in French, "Mrs. Morrison, I don't want you to leave us with that evil daughter of yours."_  
 _"Whatever Cecile is saying probably is rude," Angel added with a lump in her throat, "But what she means is that we all want you to stay with us."_  
 _"It doesn't matter," Helen breathed, "What really matters… is that I got… to see all three of you… one last time… before… I… go." Helen then sighed one last sigh before lying back down with her eyes rolling upward and closing permanently._

 _Kitty shook her head as tears fell from her cheeks, and she choked, "No, no! Please, Mrs. Morrison! Come back! I don't wanna live here with…" Her sentence was cut off when she began crying into Angel's shoulder. Angel hugged her friend for comfort as she also started crying. Cecile collapsed onto Mrs. Morrison's bed and cried into the bedclothes, because this day was the saddest in her life; she had lost one of her first friends since running away. Adele also shed several tears over losing her mother, but her look soon turned to a frown, because she now knew that she had full control over the women's home._

 _During the next two years, life at the women's home became more and more miserable, because the spoiled, sadistic, and vicious Adele was now in control. Angel, Cecile, and Kitty received the harshest treatment of all the tenants – their workload was not doubled, but tripled, and they hardly got any time to rest or have fun! One day, Angel was scrubbing floors, and she started singing:_

It's the hard knock life for us (2x)  
Instead of treated  
We get tricked  
Instead of kisses  
We get kicked  
It's the hard knock life!

 _Cecile, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, also sang along:_

Have no folks to speak of so  
It's the hard knock row we hoe  
Cotton blankets  
Instead of wool  
Empty bellies  
Instead of full  
It's the hard knock life!

 _Kitty, who was cleaning Adele's bedroom, sang her own verse:_

Don't it feel like the wind is always howling?  
Don't it seem like there's never any light?  
Once a day don't you wanna throw the towel in?  
It's easier than putting up a fight!  
No one's there when your dreams at night get creepy  
No one cares if you grow or if you shrink  
No one dries when your eyes get wet and weepy  
From the crying, you'd think this place would stink!

 _From different rooms, all the amigas sang together:_

Ohhhhh! Empty belly life  
Rotten smelly life  
Full of sorrow life  
No tomorrow life!

 _Kitty came down the stairs and met Angel as she sang:_

Santa Claus, we never see!  
 _ **Angel:**_ Santa Claus, what's that? Who's he?  
 _ **Both:**_ No one cares for you a smidge  
Like you're in an orphanage  
It's the hard knock life!

 _Cecile, who was at the bottom of the stairs, stood tall and mocked Adele, "You'll stay up till this dump shines like the top of the Eiffel Tower!" Then, all the girls worked together on tidying up the vestibule of the main entry as they sang:_

Yank the whiskers from her chin  
Jab her with a safety pin  
Make her drink a Mickey Finn  
I love you, Miss Morrison!

 _"Get to work!" Adele yelled from upstairs, "Strip those beds! I said GET TO WORK!" The amigas ran back upstairs as they sang:_

It's the hard knock life for us! (2x)  
No one cares for you a smidge  
Like you're in an orphanage  
It's the hard knock life! (3x)

 _The three ladies held the very last note as they reached one of the bedrooms, and Adele came up from behind them, and shoved them into the room!_  
 **End of Flashback**

Back in 1918, the Three Amigos and Philip the fox kept listening with wide eyes. "Life like that never seemed to end for quite a while," Cecile finished, "But one day, someone arrived at the door, looking for talented ladies."  
"Who was it?" Ned asked.  
"It was Mr. Azhell," replied Angel, "But I think I'll tell you guys about him later. In the meantime, I think we should rest here for a while, because I don't want your friend to have another accident." She pointed to Dusty, who had a bandaged forehead from the cactus accident.  
"Don't worry," Dusty assured with a smile, "I think I'll be fine! I think we should keep on going to a certain city of stars, what do you think?" The others nodded in agreement, and minutes later, they mounted their horses and began trekking on their way to Hollywood. Unknown to them, some familiar bandits were watching from a distance…


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31 - Rockslides and Revenge Stories**

El Loco and his men kept watch on the amigos and amigas while they were mounted on their horses up on a high cliff above the desert. "Look at them go, El Loco," Miguel said with observation, "I think they're on their way to Hollywood, so it won't be long before they start makin' money, and livin' the dream, and meetin' pretty mujeres…"  
"Oh, shut up!" El Loco snarled at his comrade, slapping him in the face. He looked onward at the landscape and continued with a smirk, "Those amigos and amigas will never make it, and we can make sure of that, right?"  
"Si!" Miguel and Antonio said in unison as they nodded.  
"Are you two with me on this one?" El Loco asked.  
"Of course, we're always with you!" Antonio stated with a chuckle.  
El Loco made his horse butt into Antonio's horse and said, "Then let's go! Arriba, Arriba!" So he and his men let their horses rear up before they all ran down the cliff to come after the amigos and amigas yet again. By the time the three bandits reached the bottom, the travelling heroes and heroines had already disappeared! "No, no!" El Loco cried with frustration, "This cannot be!"  
"Shhh!" Antonio shushed his boss, "Not so loud! There might be…"  
"SHUT IT!" El Loco snapped. He failed to notice a few small rocks fall from the top of a different cliff that was fifty feet above the ground, and a few feet away from him and his men. He then continued shouting, "I cannot believe this kind of crap is happening to us – first those men destroy me hermano, and now they keep getting away when I want revenge!"  
"Uhhhh, El Loco?" Miguel tried to say as he saw some more rocks tumble from the precarious cliff.  
"Silence! I am not finished ranting!" El Loco shouted; he was about to rant again when he suddenly heard a rumbling sound from above. He and his men all looked up to see a whole bunch of boulders falling from the dangerous cliff – right towards the ground! El Loco and his men screamed as they ordered their terrified horses to move away! Instead of heading in the same direction as the Three Amigos and amigas, the horses went the opposite way just as the rocks and boulders piled onto the ground, creating a massive hill! When no more rocks fell, El Loco looked at the hill and screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOO! Now how will we catch those amigos?!" All Miguel and Antonio could do was look at each other and watch their master curse and groan with anger and defeat.

Meanwhile, the Three Amigos and their amigas were still walking away from the cliffs when they heard the rocks crumbling and falling from the distance. "Geez," Ned commented, "It's a damn good thing we were able to get away from there before anything happened!"  
"Yeah," agreed Dusty, "Because the last thing I need is another head injury – maybe worse!"  
"Speaking of which," Angel chimed in, "I think it's about time I tell you about how my amigas and I left the women's home and went into showbiz – but not before giving Adele the worst kind of dessert you could imagine!" She then motioned for everyone to stop their horses, and they did. After dismounting, Angel had everyone gather around her as she began to tell another story about the women's home.

 **Flashback: Sacramento, January of 1908**  
 _It was the start of a New Year, and Angel and her friends were determined to move out of the women's home and pursue bigger dreams than being bossed around by Adele. While cleaning out the kitchen one morning, Angel gathered Cecile and Kitty to her side. The dirty blonde then looked out the door to make sure Adele wasn't around; when the coast was clear, Angel told her friends, "Girls, I have just about had enough living here in this shelter. Everything was fine until Helen died – now we have that bitch named Adele to supervise us!"_  
 _"Angel, si vous plais, mind your tongue," Cecile said, "But I certainly agree with you. Helen was the sweetest woman you could meet, and she wanted us to move out when we were ready. I think now is the time, so let us find a good agent, and become showgirls, or even actresses!"_  
 _As Cecile started to head out of the kitchen, Angel said, "No, wait! Before we do anything, I want to give a little something to Adele – just a reminder of how she's treated us, and should deserve to pay for her actions."_  
 _"What are you going to do?" Kitty asked. Angel brought her friends into a circle, and then whispered something to them. When she finished, Kitty giggled and said, "Oh, Angel, you really are a demon in disguise!" The three girls then began to get some cooking material ready to bake something._

 _That evening, Angel found a name in the phone book – a man named Matt Azhell – and then telegraphed him, telling him that she and her two friends were talented young women looking to become showgirls or actresses. When Matt told her to gather her friends and come to his office in downtown Sacramento the next morning, Angel was thrilled, for she believed that Mr. Azhell was going to hire her and her friends. "I think we're gonna get the job!" Angel exclaimed happily to Cecile and Kitty when she hung up the telegraph._  
 _"Great!" said Kitty with a smile, "Because the sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can relive my parents' legacy!"_  
 _"And I can finally live my dream!" Cecile added._  
 _"And we'll leave that evil whore behind!" Kitty smirked, talking about Adele._  
 _"But first," Angel said, "We'll have to give her the special treat." She then ran into the kitchen and pulled out a pan of lemon bars from locked cupboard. "Now, we'll have to write a note," Angel continued, "Because we're leaving tomorrow morning, and Adele will just have to guess the secret ingredient in these lemon bars!"_  
 _"Oui!" Cecile laughed. Kitty and Angel joined their friend before they left the lemon bars at Adele's favorite place to eat on the dining room table. Then, Angel took a piece of paper and an ink pen to write down:_

Dear Adele,  
Cecile DuBois, Kitty Katzenberg, and I are leaving to seek out our dreams of becoming stars. We feel that we've outlasted our welcome here at this shelter, and that we should move on to do better things. I'm leaving you some lemon bars that I made for you to eat. We won't forget your hospitality or your mother's.  
Love, Angel Wimbledon

PS: If you don't like the lemon bars, then TASTE MY PISS!

 _"Oh, wait till she finds out that the secret ingredient was something I made myself!" Angel chuckled as she put the note beside the lemon bars; she also folded the paper to cover up the post scriptum so that Adele would never notice until it was too late._

 _The next morning, Adele woke up to find the three young women gone. "Angel?" she called, "Cecile? Kitty?" She then asked other tenants if they had seen the three friends; all of them gave her the same result – no. When she went to the dining room, Adele was surprised to see a pan of lemon bars at her favorite spot, along with the note. Adele read the main part of the note, and failed to notice the folded part of the paper covering the post scriptum. "Mmmmm," she said as she looked at the lemon bars, "I know this isn't a breakfast food, but I'm going to have one anyway." So she went to the kitchen to get a plate and a cup of coffee, and then went back to the dining table to eat a lemon bar – two, actually. After eating, Adele didn't think anything would happen later; as the morning turned into an afternoon, however, she began to feel that something wasn't right in her stomach. "Oof, what could be making me feel queasy?" she eventually asked herself. She then remembered the lemon bars, and went back to the dining room. She picked up the note and looked at it again, this time, noticing that the bottom end was folded over. Adele unfolded it to see the post scriptum. When she saw the "taste my piss" part written by Angel, the queen bee looked at her lemon bars and figured something out – the secret ingredient of the lemon bars was some of Angel's own urine! "Oh, that bi-" Adele wanted to let out a name for a female dog, but she suddenly got the urge to vomit, and then ran to the kitchen sink to do so!_  
 **End of Flashback**

Back in 1918, the Three Amigos, Cecile, and Kitty were all laughing at the conclusion of Angel's story! "So that's how we left the shelter and gave Adele what she deserved!" Angel finished with a smirk.  
When he regained composure, Lucky asked Angel, "Wait a minute – do you know for sure if she actually threw up?"  
"Well, no," Angel admitted, "But I believe she did. And did she ever deserve to!"  
"Oui," agreed Cecile, "Adele was nothing like her mother, and she needed a little bit of discipline!"  
"Well, I think we should keep moving," said Ned, "Because the sooner we get to Hollywood, the better!"  
"I agree," said Kitty with a nervous look, "Because I have a feeling that we're being followed by someone bad." She looked back behind her to make sure, but then saw nothing. "Sh-shall we continue?" she asked. Everyone nodded, and then mounted their horses to continue their journey.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 - Really Close Now!**

Meanwhile, El Loco and his men had just succeeded at getting their horses to climb over the crumbling rock mountain. "Aye-aye-aye!" El Loco muttered, "To think that we have to delay our search for those amigos because of a stupid rockslide!"  
"Well you know," Antonio pointed out, "You brought this on yourself, El Loco. Miguel and I tried to warn you…"  
"SHUT IT!" El Loco snapped, "So what if you were trying to tell me about some rockslide?! Now the amigos are so far ahead of us that it will take longer for us to find them!"  
"Well that's easy," Miguel stated nervously, "They're on their way to…"  
"Hollywood, I know!" said El Loco with a frown, "What we all need is some extra energy for our horses. Do we have any more oats or apple slices left?"  
Antonio looked in his sack and said, "No! I could have sworn there was some more…" His sentence was cut off when he saw Miguel cooking something in a pot over a campfire.  
Miguel looked at his friends with a nervous grin and asked, "Eh… apple oatmeal, anyone?" El Loco became angry and slapped Miguel hard across the face.

In the meantime, the amigos and amigas were still trekking along towards the east; it would only be a day or two until they reached Hollywood, which meant the amigas were very close to achieving their dreams. The amigos (particularly Lucky), however, still pondered and worried about what would happen if they tried returning to Hollywood – would they still be banned by Mr. Flugleman or would they be allowed back in by someone else? Either way, Lucky knew that he had to tell the girls the truth sooner or later. Suddenly, Angel cried out with glee, "Hold it, everyone!"  
Lucky gave a relieved smile and said to himself, "This would be a perfect time to come clean!"  
As everyone dismounted Lucky was just getting ready to tell Angel the truth when the dirty blonde said, "Look at this sign!" Everyone gathered around Angel to see what was going on. They saw a signpost that said:

 _ **Hollywood – City of Stars!**_  
 _ **Only One More Day of Travelling by Horse**_  
 _ **Two or Three Days by Foot**_  
 _ **Twenty Minutes by Airplane**_  
 _ **Five Hours by Motorcar**_  
 _ **Everything is Weather-Depending, Of Course!**_  
 _ **All you Movie Star-Wannabes are Almost There!**_

Kitty gasped with excitement and said, "Do you know what that means?"  
"We will be living our dreams at last!" Cecile shrieked with delight.  
"Too bad we don't still have that airplane," Ned muttered.  
"Too bad we don't have a motorcar," Dusty added.  
"Come on, guys!" Angel encouraged, "Don't be so down in the dumps! As long as we stay together and stick to our dreams, we'll probably be in Hollywood by tomorrow afternoon!" She then picked up Philip (who had just finished having a "bathroom" break and a run-about) and began to sing:

 _Don't lose your way_  
 _With each passing day_  
 _You've come so far_  
 _Don't throw it away_  
 _Live believing_  
 _Dreams are for weaving_  
 _Wonders are waiting to start._

The amigos began to smile some more, and then Cecile joined Angel by singing:

 _Live your story_  
 _Faith, hope and glory_  
 _Hold to the truth in your heart!_

Kitty made an arrow pointing east in the sand, and then made a picture of stars while singing:

 _If we hold on together_  
 _I know our dreams will never die_  
 _Dreams see us through to forever_  
 _Where clouds roll by_  
 _For you and I!_

Philip made a noise of content and snuggled against Angel's chest while Angel and Cecile sang:

 _Souls in the wind_  
 _Must learn how to bend_  
 _Seek out a star_  
 _Hold onto the end_  
 _Valley, mountain_  
 _There is a fountain_  
 _Washes our tears all away_  
 _Words are swaying_  
 _Someone is praying_  
 _Please let us come home to say_

Kitty joined the in the duo, holding hands with Cecile, who then held hands with Angel, and all three sang:

 _If we hold on together_  
 _I know our dreams will never die_  
 _Dreams see us through to forever_  
 _Where clouds roll by_  
 _For you and I!_

The men all now had happier spirits, and then they joined their respective love interests, holding hands and dancing a little bit.

 **Lucky:** _When we are out there in the dark_  
 **Dusty:** _We'll dream about the sun!_  
 **Ned:** _In the dark we'll feel the light!_  
 **All men:** _Warm our hearts_  
 _Everyone!_

The men all broke away from their sweethearts, and then everyone went back to their horses, ready to continue as they finished the song.

 **Angel:** _If we hold on together_  
 **Cecile:** _I know our dreams will never die!_  
 **Kitty:** _Dreams see us through to forever!_  
 **All women:** _As high as souls can fly_  
 _Where clouds roll by_  
 _For you and I!_

Everyone mounted their horses, and then ordered the pack animals to move ahead east. With that, everyone all had happiness in their souls, for they knew that the amigas were all going to be successful in Hollywood. However, Lucky's smile dropped a bit when he remembered that he still had to tell the truth; the question was – how was he going to spill the beans to the women (especially Angel)?

Author's Note: The song "If We Hold on Together" is from the movie "The Land Before Time" ((c) Universal)


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 - A Talk Among Men**

Later that night, the amigos and amigas were camped out by a fire, eating roasted bats and contemplating about their future when they arrived in Hollywood. When they finished eating, Ned and Dusty came up to Lucky with worried looks. "Lucky, when you're finished, would you mind coming with me and Dusty for a minute?" Ned asked, "We should have a little talk."  
Lucky finished swallowing a piece of bat and answered understandably, "Um, sure." He got up and then asked the women, "Do you mind if the guys and I have a little chat with each other?"  
The women gave understanding looks and Angel replied, "Of course. You guys must be planning something special for our arrival in Hollywood."  
"I don't know," Lucky admitted, "But we'll be right back." Angel gave him a small smile before all the men walked away to somewhere else.

Eventually, the amigos came to an area that had a large boulder, a couple of cacti, and some lizards scurrying along. Ned looked at Dusty, and then at Lucky before telling him, "Lucky, something is troubling you – I can tell. If there's anything on your mind, then don't be scared to speak up."  
"Yeah," Dusty nodded.  
Lucky looked at his friends and sighed, "I don't know how or when to explain it."  
"Explain what?" Dusty asked.  
"Oh, you know," Lucky said softly, "The truth. The truth that we're not actors anymore."  
Ned and Dusty looked at each other with surprise and Ned said, "Oh crap! I never thought about that."  
"Me neither," added Dusty. He looked at Lucky and asked, "How are we going to tell them?"  
"Exactly!" said Lucky, "They'll all laugh at us and bash us if we tell them the truth. But most importantly, what if Angel finds out?" He remembered that Angel was not a woman to be trifled with as he sighed, "She'll bash me. The others will do the same to you guys, too."  
"Well, you're going to have to tell them sooner or later," Ned said with a sad expression on his face.  
"Yeah," Dusty added as he gently put his hand onto Lucky's shoulder, "Telling the truth is better than letting a big lie swallow you whole."  
Lucky became agitated as he said, "That's the trouble – I keep chickening out at the right time, and then all of a sudden, I'm lying again! I care about Angel and the other girls and all, but it's just that… I want them to know that…" He became lost in words and then slumped in defeat as he sighed, "There's nothing to tell, okay? These ladies have big dreams and hopes, while we…"  
"Are a trio of unemployed wanderers?" Ned suggested.  
"Yes," Lucky sighed, "A trio of unemployed wanderers." He then turned away from his friends and headed back to where the amigas were.  
"Lucky, where are you going?" Dusty called.  
"I'm going… to go to sleep," Lucky answered. Dusty and Ned just looked at each other with concern.

Back at the campsite, Angel saw Lucky coming and asked him, "So how did things go with you guys?"  
Lucky hesitated for a moment, but then he found what to say. "We had a pretty decent discussion – we're gonna get a big welcoming from our friends in Hollywood, I imagine!" Lucky lied. Once again, he chickened out just when it was a good time to come clean.  
Angel raised a brow and said, "I can see, because you're acting very nervous."  
"Well, um, we-we have never escorted newcomers into Hollywood before, that's why," Lucky stammered.  
"Well, we all have our moments of worry," Cecile said with comfort in her voice, "I think now we should get some rest so that we can get to Hollywood as quickly as we can tomorrow."  
"Good idea," Lucky yawned as he noticed the other men coming to the campsite.  
Ned and Dusty saw their friend yawn, and they yawned, too (yawns are very contagious). Eventually, everyone decided that it was best to get some sleep and rest up for their big day; after the fire was put out, the amigos and amigas laid down on the ground and drifted off to sleep, dreaming dreams of being in movies and dancing among stars.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 - "We've Made It!"**

The next morning, the amigos and amigas gathered their camping and food supplies to prepare for their final destination – Hollywood. They then mounted their horses and rode off, travelling through hot deserts and little towns during the course of several hours. At one point, Philip gave Angel a sad look, as if he wanted to cry. "It's okay, Philip," Angel told him with a gentle smile, "We'll get there soon enough. Who knows? Maybe the people at the movies will wanna make you a star, too?" This gave the fennec fox plenty of comfort as he gave a hopeful smile to his mistress.  
"A fennec fox in the movies," Lucky wondered as he heard Angel comfort her furry friend, "Not a bad idea – maybe next they'll wanna have dogs, horses, and even dolphins in the movies!"

Finally, at around seven o'clock in the evening, everyone saw bright lights in the distance – Hollywood in Los Angeles, California! "Look, everyone!" Ned said with excitement, "We've made it!"  
The women all gasped at the sight, and Angel said with a grin, "It's even more beautiful than I imagined!"  
"It is even more beautiful than I ever pictured Paris to be!" added Cecile.  
"I can hardly wait to let everyone admire our acting skills and our singing!" beamed Kitty.  
"Welcome home, guys," Lucky told the men quietly. Dusty and Ned each gave him a smile.  
"Let's hope for the best," Ned said with a tiny bit of concern in his voice; he worried about the consequences if the ladies ever found out that Lucky was lying to them about still being movie stars.

When the party reached city limits, commoners on the street looked at them with awe, just like many of the other people they encountered, and whispered to each other.  
"The Three Amigos are back!"  
"What will Mr. Flugleman think?"  
"Who are those lovely ladies with the amigos?"  
"Are those ladies the famous showgirls?"  
"It seems that everywhere we go, people are whispering about us," Angel said to the amigos.  
"Well, they're intimidated," Lucky told her, "We're big stars around here, and pretty soon, people are gonna start asking us for their autographs!"  
Kitty yawned and said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling a little sleepy. Maybe we should find a place to stay, and then tomorrow we can look around Los Angeles and Hollywood a bit?"  
"I don't see why not," Ned smiled at her. He turned to his fellow amigos and asked them, "Hey, guys, Kitty's feeling a little tired. Do you suppose we could find a hotel pretty soon?"  
"Absolutely!" grinned Dusty, "Let's look around, shall we? Maybe we could also find a good tavern, too?" Angel and Lucky both rolled their eyes at his suggestion.

After looking around for about ten minutes, the amigos and amigas found an elegant hotel. It was eight stories high, had ivory-colored paint on its outside walls, and the windows were all polished and appeared to be brand new. "Sacre-bleu!" Cecile gasped with excitement, "This hotel reminds me of the Palace of Versailles!"  
"This hotel reminds me of the White House!" added Angel.  
"This hotel reminds me of this one place in New York City," said Kitty, "I can't remember the name of it, but it's even grander inside! My parents and I stayed at that place one time when we were travelling." Her expression changed to a sad one when she thought about her parents; Ned gently placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.  
"Now the question is," said Lucky, "Do we have enough money?" He dug into his pocket and felt the remaining money left over from the major award back in Yuma. "Well if my name isn't Lucky Day!" he said with a grin, "I think we just may have enough!"  
"Great!" said Angel, "Let's go in, shall we?" So everyone did just that.

Inside, there were shiny floors patterned with red and white squares, white walls, a lovely staircase, and a pianist was playing on a piano. People who were watching our heroes and heroines gasped in awe when they saw them, for they knew that the amigos had returned. Lucky, Dusty, and Ned went up to the main desk and asked for two rooms for the night. The man behind the desk held his mouth agape for a few seconds and stammered, "The-the Three Amigos? Y-you're back?"  
The amigos laughed, and Lucky answered with wink, "Yep, we sure are." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the leftover money from the big reward in Yuma.  
"Oh my," said the man behind the desk, "Where did you get all this money?"  
Lucky grinned and pointed to the amigas, saying, "These ladies here – they performed for us, and we won the money in Yuma. Tomorrow we're gonna give them a little tour of town, and then we're gonna try and help them achieve their dreams of becoming movie stars."  
Meanwhile, the desk manager counted out the money and found the right amount for two rooms. "The two rooms I'm giving to you and your friends may not be royal chambers," he explained, "But I think they'll at least have decent mattresses."  
"We don't mind," Ned giggled, "We've been on the road a lot, and we've seen really poor conditions in the wilderness. We'll take those two rooms!"  
The desk manager smiled and gave the amigos two keys while saying, "Enjoy your stay here. And have fun exploring tomorrow!" The amigos and amigas smiled at the man, and Angel was given a key to room 115. Lucky kept the other key, which had the number 116 written on it.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35 - Angel's Confession**

After each trio settled into their hotel rooms, the amigos and amigas changed into their nightclothes and started getting ready to call it a night. In their room, the women were talking about how all the people they had been passing by were admiring them and the amigos. "Those amigos must really be popular if people talk about them and look at them with awe," said Kitty, "But then, maybe the guys are returning after a hiatus in Mexico?"  
"Who knows?" said Angel, "All I know is that Lucky and I have been through a lot together, and I feel…"  
"Yes?" Kitty asked.  
Angel thought about what to say, but then she sighed and said, "I just feel that he and the other men have been so helpful. They've helped us come so far to reach our dream destination."  
Cecile, who was sitting on a bed while writing something, looked up and chuckled, "Angel, I think there may be something much more on your mind!"  
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked.  
"Cecile's right," Kitty grinned, "There's something about Lucky that's on your mind – I'm sure of it! Mind telling us about it?"  
Angel wanted to snap at them and say that she had nothing on her mind, but then she finally confessed with a sigh, "Alright. I'll tell you… I think I'm in love with that man." With that, Kitty and Cecile walked over to stand by both of their friend's sides as Angel sang:

 _I don't know how to love him_  
 _What to do, how to move him_  
 _I've been changed_  
 _Yes, really changed!_

Kitty and Cecile looked at each other, remembering how Lucky and Angel didn't exactly get along very well at times during their journey. Then, Angel took two steps forward as she kept singing:

 _In these past few days_  
 _When I've seen myself_  
 _I seem like someone else_  
 _I don't know how to take this_  
 _I don't see why he moves me_  
 _He's a man_  
 _He's just a man_

Angel looked at her reflection in a mirror of a vanity, and she imagined Lucky's face appear alongside hers. Lucky smiled as he put his hand around Angel's shoulder, and Angel sang:

 _And I've had so many men before_  
 _In very many ways_  
 _He's just one more!_

Kitty nodded at Angel's last sentence, totally agreeing with her, since both of the women both had their share of men before meeting the amigos.

 **Angel:** _Should I bring him down?_  
 _Should I scream and shout?_  
 _Should I speak of love?_  
 _Let my feelings out?_

We are then given a zoom-in of Angel's reflection with Lucky at her side, and then the image in the mirror becomes a scene where Angel and Lucky are together in strange room.

 **Angel:** _I never thought I'd come to this_  
 _What's it all about?_  
 _Don't you think it's rather funny?_  
 _I should be in this position_  
 _I'm the one who's always been_  
 _So hot, not cool_  
 _A lover's fool_  
 _Running every show_  
 _He bugs me so!_

Lucky held his hand out to Angel, but she hesitated, and then ran off. Lucky came after her until he hugged her, twirled her around, and leaned in to kiss her. Before he could kiss her, Lucky disappeared, and we go back to the hotel room as Angel sang:

 _I never thought I'd come to this_  
 _What's it all about?_  
 _Yet, if he said he loved me_  
 _I'd be lost, I'd be frightened_  
 _I couldn't cope_  
 _Just couldn't cope_  
 _I'd turn my head_  
 _I'd back away_  
 _I wouldn't want to know!_

She then sat on top of the bed and thought about her adventure with the Three Amigos and finished her song:

 _He bugs me so_  
 _I want him so_  
 _I love him so!_

"Maybe tomorrow you'll have the strength to tell him?" Cecile asked Angel as she took her note that she had been writing.  
"Maybe," Angel sighed. She saw Cecile's note and changed the subject by asking, "Cecile, out of curiosity, what are you writing down?"  
"Oh, it is just a letter to my mother and father," Cecile replied with a sad smile, "Since I met Dusty and bonded with him, I thought about my dreadful actions as a teen, and now I want to say that I am sorry to my parents. I hope they are still living in the Midwest, because I am mailing this letter tomorrow on our exploration." She then set the note and pen on a desk beside the bed, and then she, Angel, and Kitty all crawled into the bed together to sleep.

Author's Note: The song "I Don't Know How to Love Him" is from the musical _Jesus Christ Superstar_ ((c) Andrew Lloyd Webber)


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36 - Shopping in Los Angeles**

Meanwhile, another familiar trio was riding towards the outskirts of Los Angeles on their horses, looking for any sign of the amigos and amigas. "Well, chicos, we've made it!" El Loco whispered to Miguel and Antonio, "Now all we have to do is wait!"  
"Wait?" Miguel said with shock, "But it's getting dark, and we might fall asleep if we have to stay up all night and wait for the amigos and amigas!"  
"We ARE going to go to sleep!" El Loco said angrily as he shook Miguel and Antonio with both his hands, "We're going to find a nice alleyway where we can make camp, and we'll wake up bright and early tomorrow morning to catch those amigos and amigas!"  
"A nice alleyway?" Antonio asked with confusion, "Where are we gonna find an alley with continental breakfasts and king-size mattresses?"  
All El Loco did was a frustrated face palm before motioning for his comrades to follow him and find a place to hide and sleep.

The next morning, back at the hotel, the Three Amigos were still in bed, and were just waking up. "Next time we come here," Dusty yawned, "We should get six rooms."  
"Six?" Lucky asked with his own yawn, "How do you think we're gonna afford six rooms?"  
"We'll be movie stars again – we're gonna make more money than ever before!" Dusty said with a smile.  
"Let's just hope and pray we can get back in," Ned said as he flopped out of his side of the single bed.  
"You okay, Ned?" Dusty asked when he looked down at Ned, who was lying on the floor with his right leg still on the mattress.  
"I'm okay," Ned smiled in a groggily voice.

In their own bedroom, the women were also just waking up and getting out of their bed, preparing for what was to come that morning. "Oh, I am so excited about touring a big city at last!" Cecile beamed with happiness.  
"Me too!" Kitty agreed with a grin, "I think it's time for me to live my parents' dreams once and for all!"  
Angel just held her head down as she thought about something; she remembered confessing to her friends about how she was starting to have loving feelings for Lucky Day. "Angel, is something wrong?" Cecile asked with concern as she came over to her friend.  
Angel looked up and said, "Oh no, Cecile. I'm just thinking about Lucky Day, and my feelings for him."  
"Maybe tonight you should have a night with him like Ned and I did in Yuma?" Kitty suggested with sly smile.  
"No, Kitty, it's nothing like that," Angel said, "I'm just so nervous about telling Lucky how I feel about him."  
Kitty and Cecile each gave their friend a reassuring smile, and Cecile said, "It is okay, Angel. We will be here for you when the time comes – I promise!"  
Angel smiled back and said with determination and happiness, "Alright, then! Let's prepare for a day of fun, girls!"

Later that morning, after eating a big breakfast and paying the hotel bill, the amigos and amigas set off into the streets to do some exploring around Los Angeles and Hollywood. They stopped at numerous shops, and everyone gave the amigos a warm welcome back, and asked how they had been; Lucky simply said that they were on hiatus, and were bringing the girls back with them to achieve dreams. Ned and Dusty just frowned at him, because they knew that their friend just kept on lying and deceiving the women.

At one department store, an old man was selling tickets to a grand gala for cheap prices. "Excuse us, but what's this gala you speak of?" Dusty asked the man selling the tickets with suspicious look; he worried that this guy may have been a con artist.  
The older man smiled at Dusty and simply said, "Well, sonny, I won these tickets at an auction last night. Trouble is, there are six tickets in my hand, and only one of me, and I don't have a fancy tuxedo to wear! That's why I'm selling them!"  
"Are these real tickets?" Kitty asked the man with a raised brow.  
"Absolutely, sweetheart!" the ticket selling man answered, "Just look at them, and look closely!" He handed one of the tickets to Dusty, who examined very, very closely.  
"You're not trying to con us, are you?" Dusty asked. The old man shook his head before Dusty beamed, "We'll take 'em! How much are they?"  
"Twenty-five cents each, sonny!" the ticket seller answered, "Usually they cost twenty-five dollars each, but I'm giving you the deal of a lifetime!"  
Ned nudged Dusty with his hand and whispered with concern, "Dusty, are you sure you wanna do this?"  
"Ned, we wanna give the girls the best of the town, don't we?" Dusty whispered back. Ned nodded as Dusty continued, "These things altogether are a dollar-fifty! We can use the rest of our money to rent costumes for this thing!" Ned just gave an irritated and defeated face as Dusty bought the six tickets from the old man.  
The old man chuckled and then exclaimed, "Thank you so much, fellas! I hope you all enjoy the gala!"  
"One more question," Angel said before they left, "When and where is the gala?"  
"At Goldsmith Pictures in Hollywood, young lady!" the man answered with a smile, "Seven o'clock sharp!"  
Lucky gave his friends a happy grin as Angel thanked the old man, and then everyone moved along to do some more shopping.

As they continued through the same department store, Angel asked her friends, "Now the question is – what will we wear to the gala?"  
"We'll find something," Kitty said with optimism, "Don't worry. We could even rent some dresses and tuxedos if we have to!"  
As Lucky, Dusty, and Ned thought about the gala at Goldsmith Pictures, a lightbulb appeared above their heads, and Lucky whispered to his friends, "Guys, remember that movie _Those Darn Amigos_?"  
Dusty and Ned slumped with disappointment and nodded; they remembered that movie being a box office failure, and how they upset Harry Flugleman, causing them to get fired. "Are you trying to get us thrown in jail for upsetting someone again?" Ned asked.  
"No!" Lucky said before continuing, "Don't you guys remember what we did in that movie?"  
Dusty then remembered a scene from the film where they secretly swapped outfits with some other characters and asked with a grin, "You think that could work with the girls, too?"  
Lucky smirked and said, "It has to work!" He looked up, saw the amigas, and whistled them over to him.  
"Lucky, what is it?" Angel asked as she and her friends came over.  
"We've got some serious shopping to do!" Lucky said with a wink; the other amigos winked along with him.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37 - Getting New Clothes**

Later that afternoon, at about five-thirty, the amigos and amigas saw a prop man carrying six mannequins outside the gates of Hollywood – three of the mannequins were men, and three were women. The most common feature they had were the fact that they had on fancy clothes. "So what are we going to do?" Angel asked softly.  
"We did this in one of our movies," Lucky explained, "We'll have to distract that guy somehow, and replace those costumes with the clothes we have on now!"  
Angel became shocked and gasped, "Lucky Day, you can't be serious!"  
"Come on," said Dusty, "We're not stealing those costumes, just borrowing them!"  
"It'll only be for tonight, we promise!" Ned insisted.  
Angel and the other girls just gave unsure looks to the men as Lucky and his amigos tiptoed over to the gates. "Just stay where you ladies are, and don't make a noise!" Lucky whispered before he and the other men tiptoed away to distract the prop man.

At the gate, the amigos tried their best not to be seen by the prop man. They stayed very close to the gate until Ned found a rolled up newspaper lying on the ground. He picked it up and showed it to his friends, and Lucky whispered, "Nice work, Ned! Now throw it far away!"  
Ned nodded, and then threw the newspaper forward with all his might. The prop man looked and saw the newspaper land on the other side of the street. "Someone must be delivering the evening news," he told himself, "Maybe I should go over and investigate?" So that's what the prop man did; he abandoned the cart with the mannequins, and then went over to a crosswalk to cross the street.  
As the amigos saw the prop man go off, Lucky then indicated that this would be the perfect chance to grab the clothes on the mannequin; he turned to where the amigas were hiding, and motioned for them to come and meet him and the other men. The women quickly ran over to the amigos, and then everyone pulled up a tablecloth from the bottom of the cart to act as a curtain for them to change clothes behind. After a few minutes, everyone saw the prop man come back after reading the newspaper, and then quickly ran off before he could see them.

When they came back to the place where they started from, the amigos were all wearing the black and white tuxedos, and the women were all wearing the dresses. Angel's dress was red and white with a yellow ribbon on the bodice; Cecile's dress was purple with a lavender trim on the bodice, and a matching belt in the center; Kitty's dress was forest green with a jade green sash across the waist. "Great!" Angel whispered with delight, "Now all we need is some accessories and new looks, and we'll be ready for the gala! Got the tickets?"  
Lucky reached into his jacket pocket and felt nothing! "Dammit!" he cried, "I think I left them in…" His sentence was cut off when he saw Philip the fennec fox appear from nowhere, holding the six tickets in his mouth and wagging his fluffy tail. "Philip's care," Lucky finished sheepishly.  
Angel laughed and said, "Oh, Philip, you clever mutt!" The fox let his mistress have the tickets, and Angel was happy that so far, there was no saliva on any of them. "You didn't even get spit on them, either!" she chuckled, "Now do you think you could show us where to find some nice accessories and maybe get new looks?" The fox pointed in a direction towards a barbershop and beauty salon that was just around the corner. Angel and the others smiled as they walked over to that place.

At the beauty salon, the men each got their hair trimmed an inch off the bottom, and the women were all given make-up and fancy hairdos, along with cheap jewelry and gloves. When everyone was finished, Angel had her hair styled in a low bun, and had a red headband, ruby earrings, a pearl necklace, long gloves that went past her elbows, and red shoes. Cecile had her hair done in curls similar to how Kitty usually had hers, a purple satin rose in her hair, a silver choker with matching earrings, elbow-length gloves, and purple shoes. Kitty had her hair done in a high bun, and was touched with a white headband, matching earrings, a silver necklace, elbow-length gloves, and green shoes. The men all had neatly combed hair and freshly shaved faces, and their dress shoes were so brightly polished that you could see your reflection in them! "Ready for a night out?" Lucky asked the ladies.  
Angel and the other women just smiled as the bill was payed, and everyone headed out the door to make their way to Goldsmith Pictures.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 - Dancing at the Gala**

When they got to Goldsmith Pictures, the amigos and amigas presented their tickets to the man at the main door of the administrative building; Lucky and the other amigos thought they saw the ticket man give a scowl, but they decided to just ignore him. Upon entering the ballroom, all the guests looked up and gasped in awe at the sight of the three beautiful amigas. Cecile gave a big grin, Kitty gave a nervous grin, and Angel widened her eyes with surprise. "They know that you girls are gonna be stars," Lucky whispered to her with an assuring smile.  
Angel gave a small smile and said, "Let's hope so." The two of them, along with Dusty, Cecile, Ned, and Kitty, kept on walking, and then everyone else resumed what they were doing.

A while later, a little orchestra began to play some romantic music for the guests to dance to. Without hesitation, Lucky held his hand out to Angel and asked, "May I have this dance?"  
Angel gasped and then said with a calm smile, "Yes, Mr. Lucky Day. But I have to admit that I haven't danced with a man in quite a long time!"  
"I'll help you," Lucky smiled.  
As the two made their way to the dance floor, Cecile became closer to Dusty and sang:

 _Tale as old time_  
 _True as it can be_  
 _Barely even friends_  
 _Then somebody bends_  
 _Unexpectedly!_

Dusty then took Cecile's hand and led her to the dance floor, too. Kitty watched the sight and sang:

 _Just a little change_  
 _Small to say the least_  
 _Both a little scared_  
 _Neither one prepared_  
 _Beauty and the beast!_

While watching their friends dance with each other, Ned and Kitty got the urge to join them, so they did. While dancing, Kitty and Cecile sang along about friendships becoming romantic relationships.

 **Kitty and Cecile:** _Ever just the same_  
 _Ever a surprise_  
 _Ever as before_  
 _Ever just as sure_  
 _As the sun will rise!_

Meanwhile, Lucky was helping Angel with some of the steps when it came to waltzing. Angel eventually got the hang of it and said happily, "I've forgotten how much fun it is to dance like this!"  
"I knew you'd you get the hang of it sooner or later," Lucky replied with a smile; he then twirled Angel around while Cecile and Kitty kept singing while they respectively danced with Dusty and Ned.

 **Cecile:** _Tale as old as time_  
 _Tune as old as song_  
 **Cecile and Kitty:** _Bittersweet and strange_  
 _Finding you can change_  
 _Learning you were wrong!_

Eventually, Angel and Lucky smiled lovingly at each other, and Angel rested her head onto Lucky's chest to hear his heart beating. Dusty winked at his friend, and Ned gave a big, smug grin; Cecile and Kitty smiled lovingly at their own men while finishing their song.

 **Kitty:** _Certain as the sun_  
 _Rising in the east_  
 **Cecile:** _Tale as old as time_  
 **Kitty:** _Song as old as rhyme_  
 **Both:** _Beauty and the beast!_  
 **Kitty:** _Tale as old as time_  
 **Cecile:** _Song as old as rhyme_  
 **Both:** _Beauty and the beast!_

When the music ended, everyone clapped at the dancers, and then the amigos led the amigas to another part of the ballroom, managing to get a glimpse of someone familiar…

Author's Note: The song is from Beauty and the Beast. ((c) Disney)


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 - The Truth Hurts**

The person the amigos got a glimpse of was none other than Harry Flugleman, the man who fired Lucky, Dusty, and Ned back in 1916! When they saw him, the three men each gave a shudder of fear. "Are you guys okay?" Kitty asked them with concern.  
"Um, we're fine," Ned lied, "We just felt a… rush of cold air, right, guys?"  
Dusty and Lucky both nodded.  
Cecile shrugged and said, "That's funny. I do not feel any cold air around here."  
Lucky turned and saw Mr. Flugleman look up; the lead amigo gasped, but then regained composure and said to his pals, "Could you guys excuse me for a minute? I need to talk to someone." He then made his way to see Mr. Flugleman; the other amigos and the women all looked at each other with surprised and confused looks.

Lucky approached Mr. Flugleman as if he were King of the World, and then said, "Mr. Flugleman! So good to see you! Did you miss me?"  
Harry gave a look of shock and anger and stammered, "L-Lucky Day? What are y-you doing here? After two long years?"  
Lucky nervously gave a smug smile and replied, "Dusty, Ned and I have brought along three lovely ladies who want to become movie stars! So if you wouldn't mind…"  
"You know what?" Harry asked him, "Do you mind if we talk somewhere private?"  
Lucky looked back at his friends, and then at Flugleman before replying, "Okay, let's go."  
As Mr. Flugleman and Lucky walked to a nearby door, Angel decided to follow them so she could get a good ear of what they were going to talk about. "Angel, are you sure this is a good idea?" Cecile asked with worry.  
"I want to know if Mr. Flugleman will let us in," Angel answered softly before walking away.

When Lucky and Harry arrived into the private room, Flugleman shut the door, but left it open just a little crack. Inside, Harry sat down on a chair, and had Lucky stand in front of him. "Alright, Mr. Lucky Day, be honest with me," Harry said, "What's this really all about?"  
Lucky chuckled and said, "Mr. Flugleman, to be honest, the other amigos and I didn't really expect to run into you again. We were just wandering around in Mexico one day, and we met these out-of-work showgirls who wanna become movie stars!"  
Harry laughed and cried out, "Fired showgirls who wanna become stars! Now that's something I haven't heard in years!" Unknown to either of the men, Angel had arrived at the outside of the room, and began eavesdropping when she heard laughing. Inside, Mr. Flugleman continued, "You want ME to hire some white-trash hookers to star in any of MY movies?! Well, that's not gonna happen, especially after I fired a certain trio of ne'er-do-wells who back-talked at me!" Outside the room, Angel gave a glare when she heard Mr. Flugleman talk about her friends like that.  
In the room, Lucky also became angry at Mr. Flugleman's remark and said, "Mr. Flugleman, these women are NOT prostitutes! They're aspiring stage stars who want to step outside the box for a change. They wanna be someone!"  
"Lucky, I've had enough of you!" Harry said with a glare, "For two years, I had the happiest time without you, or Dusty, or Ned! You three become sharp thorns in my sides when Those Darn Amigos was released!" Outside the door, Angel gasped when she heard that part.  
"But Mr. Flugleman, they have nowhere else to go after getting lost in Mexico!" Lucky argued with Harry.  
"And I've seen excellent supporting actors who were hired after getting lost in Alaska!" Harry stated with a frown.  
"Please, I promise – I won't bother you anymore," Lucky pleaded as he put his hand onto Harry's hand, "I just want you to meet…"  
"How much more pain should you inflict on me, especially after I had to fire you three guys?!" Harry interrupted furiously. Outside, Angel gasped again when she heard that remark. In the room, Mr. Flugleman removed his hand from underneath Lucky's, got up from his chair, and then began pushing Lucky out of the room. "Get outta here!" Flugleman yelled, "And take your stupid friends and your little bimbos with you!"  
The door opened, and Lucky was pushed out of the room, begging Mr. Flugleman to help the amigas!

When he came out the room, Angel looked at Lucky with anger and betrayal. Lucky looked back at her with worry and asked, "Angel, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you…?"  
"All of this was a lie, wasn't it?" Angel asked under her breath.  
Lucky became startled, knowing now that Angel had been eavesdropping; he stammered, "W-what? What are you talking about?"  
"You used me and my friends?" Angel asked, "We were just part of a scam so that you could get re-hired by that douche in there?"  
"No! No, no, no!" Lucky cried, "Why would my friends and I use you and the other girls? All we wanted to do was help you achieve your dreams – we weren't really expecting to see Mr. Flugleman, but I wanted to give him a piece of my mind."  
"Piece of your mind?!" Angel yelled with anger, "That's not what I heard! Now get this – from the very beginning, when we first met, YOU LIED! You lied to Cecile, you lied to Kitty, and most importantly, you lied to me! Why, Lucky, why? We believed in you, we trusted you, and I even…" Angel cut herself off by letting out an angry groan, and started to storm off.  
"Angel, please!" Lucky cried out as he came after her, "I swear, we amigos were never trying to get back into Hollywood! We just wanna…"  
"NO!" Angel snapped furiously as she turned and saw Lucky, "I've had enough of your lies and tricks! I don't care how much you tried to help – the only person you really care about is yourself! _**JUST FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME**_ **ALONE!** "As she turned away, Lucky took a hold of her hand, but Angel quickly turned around and gave him a hard slap on the cheek!  
She then picked up her skirt and ran off, and Lucky called out to her, "No! Angel, wait! You have to know the real truth!" It was too late; Angel was already heading out the door and away from the gala. All the other amigos and amigas could do was watch with worry and sympathy for Angel. Lucky, on the other hand, quickly walked so that he could follow Angel.

Author's Note: Part of this chapter takes some inspiration from Don Bluth's Anastasia. ((c) Fox)


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40 - Lucky to the Rescue**

Once she was outside the building, Angel began crying tears of anger, guilt, and betrayal for snapping at Lucky for lying to her. She ran through the streets and tripped over a crack in the pavement, because she was wearing heels. Angel immediately took her heels off and kept on running and crying; as she ran into an alleyway, Angel heard some familiar noises! She turned and gasped at where the noises were coming from – El Loco and his men! "Well, well, well!" said El Loco with an evil smirk, "We meet again, senorita! This time I see you're all by yourself. That's _muy bien_ , because now no one will hear you suffer!"  
"Si!" Antonio and Miguel said in unison with their own smirks.  
Angel slowly backed away with fright, and then she turned around began running again; this time, she ran deeper and deeper into the alley. "HELP!" she cried, "Someone, please help me!" The only living things to hear her cries were some stray cats and scurrying rats.  
Just then, Angel tripped and fell over again; this time, Miguel and Antonio grabbed and gagged her by placing a torn piece of her dress over her mouth! As the helpless Angel let out muffled screams through the cloth, El Loco laughed sinisterly, "So, you thought you could escape me this time, eh? Well, your luck has just run out, chica! No one can save you now!"  
"Think again, El Loco!" a familiar voice shouted from behind the bandits.

Everyone turned and saw Lucky Day standing bravely with a serious facial expression. He looked at El Loco in the eyes and commanded, "Let my girl go!" Angel just groaned angrily through the cloth, since she was still mad at him for lying to her.  
El Loco growled at Lucky, "How many times should we keep running into each other, you gringo? I think this time should be the last, don't you think?"  
"No!" Lucky said, "Tomorrow, my friends and I…"  
"Will be dead!" El Loco interrupted with a yell; he charged towards Lucky, and began punching him about. All Angel could do was watch helplessly in shock as Miguel and Antonio ripped her bodice ribbon off her dress and used it to tie her wrists together behind her back.  
While being beaten up, Lucky managed to stay strong and kick El Loco in the groin! The bandit screamed in pain, and then Lucky used one of his fists to punch him square in the face! Miguel and Antonio looked over and watched in fear as Lucky exclaimed, "As I was saying, tomorrow afternoon, my friends and I will meet you in Hollywood's main lot! We will put on the show of a lifetime! In fact, it might be made into a movie!" Angel looked at Lucky with an unsure look before commanded the three bandits to leave.  
"Very well, Lucky Day!" El Loco snarled, "But I guarantee that this is the LAST time I let you free. Tomorrow at three o'clock, you DIE!" He turned to Miguel and Antonio and sneered, "Let's go! We have a big day tomorrow!" Miguel and Antonio nervously nodded, and the two ran off with defeat.

Lucky ran over to Angel to help her, but when he turned his left arm, he felt a sharp pain in the shoulder! "Oh, that hurts!" Lucky cried as he held onto his shoulder. But that didn't stop him as he untied Angel's wrists and freed her from being gagged.  
Angel gasped for air, and then looked at Lucky with a stern face; she said, "Well, that pain in the shoulder serves you right for being so deceitful!"  
Lucky frowned and said, "Hey! I just saved your life, and this is the kind of thanks I get?"  
"Just because you saved me doesn't mean I can forgive you right away," Angel stated, "Besides, look at me! My dress is hideous!"  
"That doesn't matter," Lucky said sternly, "What matters is the fact that you're safe, and I helped you!" He took a torn piece of cloth from Angel's dress and wrapped it around his shoulder as he said to himself, "There. I think this should help with the pain." He looked at Angel, held out his hand, and said, "Let's go check back with the others." Angel reluctantly held Lucky's hand, and the two of them walked back to the administrative building of Goldsmith Pictures.

Back at the building, the gala was coming to a close when Lucky and Angel met their friends. Cecile gasped with shock when she saw Angel's torn dress, and Kitty asked, "Angel, what happened out there? What was going on between you and Lucky?"  
Lucky took a deep breath, stepped forward towards his friends, and then explained, "It's like this, ladies. Dusty and Ned and I aren't actors anymore." Cecile and Kitty gasped and looked at the men with angry looks. "Yeah, I know," Lucky admitted, "I lied, and I'm very sorry. When we were facing El Loco and his men, this was a real deal. We're real heroes, and we have been for two whole years. I caught a glimpse of Mr. Flugleman, and I worried that he wouldn't let me and the other two guys in – the only people I wanted to see in Hollywood were you girls." The women's frowns softened a little bit as Lucky continued, "I tried to see if he would hire you girls, but he's just another guy like that Mr. Azhell you were telling us about. Ned and Dusty and I knew how you felt when you were fired, but we didn't want to upset you early on in our relationships."  
"Well, you shouldn't have been afraid," Angel told him with a raised brow, "If you did tell us, none of these messes would've happened!"  
"Angel, calm down," Lucky said, "I have another subject to bring up. While I was looking for Angel, I saw her being attacked by El Loco and his men. We made an agreement to meet in Hollywood's main lot tomorrow at three o'clock. We'll show those banditos who's boss, for sure!"  
"But Lucky, how are we going to do that?" Ned asked.  
"Remember what we did in Santa Poco a couple of years ago?" Lucky asked.  
The men all looked at the ladies, and Dusty asked hopefully, "Do you think that will work?"  
"It's got to work!" Lucky said with determination, "Because we are the Three Amigos! We'd better find someplace to stay so we can get a good night's sleep and begin planning tomorrow morning!"


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41 - An Old Seamstress Friend**

The next morning, after sleeping in a cheap and filthy motel room, the amigos and amigas didn't hesitate to pay the bill and leave to make plans for their final meeting with El Loco. "Good riddance with that hotel!" Ned scoffed as they exited the hotel, "I never wanna go back there again!"  
"Me neither," agreed Kitty, "But it was better than nothing, especially since that was the last of our money we used."  
As the friends rode their horses to Hollywood's gates, Angel asked Lucky, "So what's this plan you made?"  
"Well, it's simple," Lucky explained with a smile, "You girls get into costumes similar to our outfits, and we all act as vaqueros to get rid of El Loco and his men!"  
"You mean use guns, too?" Cecile asked with a quiver, "I hate guns!"  
"These guns will be props, and the bullets will be blanks," Lucky said with comforting tone, "But for right now, we're gonna find us a tailor somewhere in Hollywood. We need to be sure we have the right fabric for three amiga costumes!"

When the amigos and amigas arrived at Hollywood, they met a woman named Sue N. Machin. She had light skin, brown eyes, and brown hair tied back in a low ponytail; she also wore a worn-out red dress underneath a white shirt, a cream-colored apron that had a brown patch, and black flat shoes. The amigos recalled that she was the woman who designed their costumes in their movies. "Hello, how may I help you guys?" she asked when she saw the amigos and amigas. When she got a closer look at the men, she gasped with surprise, "Are you the… Three Amigos?"  
The men all nodded and Dusty answered, "We are. Listen, Sue, these ladies need costumes identical to ours by three o'clock this afternoon. You think you could help us?"  
Sue became dumbfounded and stammered, "Oh! I-I don't know… I've never made three costumes in a single day – let alone five hours!"  
"Hey, hey, hey!" Angel said, calming Sue, "It's okay. We can all help you!"  
"Oui!" said Cecile, "And the amigos, too! They've done this before for an entire village in Mexico!"  
Dusty shyly looked at his fellow amigos and admitted, "But then, we had a ton of help. What we're talking about is a real emergency, Cecile. Sue is right. Maybe it would be best…"  
"To sing a song," Angel suggested, "Just because this is an emergency to help us, Miss Machin, that doesn't mean we can't give up hope. Here, let me explain." With that, Angel began to sing:

 _Many nights we've prayed_  
 _With no proof anyone could hear_  
 _In our hearts a hopeful song_  
 _We barely understood_  
 _Now we are not afraid_  
 _Although we know there's much to fear_  
 _We were moving mountains long_  
 _Before we knew we could_

Angel held Sue's hands and gave her a hopeful smile, and then looked at her friends as she kept on singing:

 _There can be miracles_  
 _When you believe_  
 _Though hope is frail_  
 _It's hard to kill_  
 _Who knows what miracles_  
 _You can achieve?_  
 _When you believe, somehow you will_  
 _You will when you believe!_

Kitty stepped over to Angel and gave everyone her own reassuring smile as she sang:

 _In this time of fear_  
 _When prayers so often prove in vain_  
 _Hope seems like the summer birds_  
 _Too swiftly flown away_  
 _Yet now I'm standing here_  
 _My heart's so full, I can't explain_  
 _Seeking faith and speaking words_  
 _I never thought I'd say!_

A flock of birds flew above the amigos and amigas, and Sue looked up, but then she looked at everyone with a hopeful grin.

 **Kitty:** _There can be miracles_  
 _When you believe_  
 **Angel:** _When you believe_  
 **Kitty:** _Though hope is frail_  
 _It's hard to kill_  
 **Angel and Kitty:** _Who knows what miracles_  
 _You can achieve?_  
 _When you believe, somehow you will_  
 _You will when you believe!_

Sue motioned for the amigos and amigas to follow her to her workshop so that they could get started on making costumes. As they walked along, Angel and Kitty sang their song about miracles:

 _They don't always happen when you ask_  
 _And it's easy to give in to your fears_  
 _But when you're blinded by your pain_  
 _Can't see a way to get through the rain_  
 _A small but still resilient voice_  
 _Says love is very near!_

When they entered Sue's workshop, the seamstress and all the amigos and amigas found hope in their hearts to defeat El Loco, and sang out loud:

 _There can be miracles_  
 _When you believe_  
 _Though hope is frail_  
 _It's hard to kill_  
 _Who knows what miracles_  
 _You can achieve?_  
 _When you believe, somehow you will_  
 _Now you will!_  
 _You will when you believe!_  
 _(You will when…)_  
 _You will when you believe!_  
 _(Just believe)_  
 _You will when you believe!_

When they finished singing, Sue exclaimed, "Wow! That was some of the best singing I've ever heard in my life! Great job, ladies, and great job, everyone!"  
All the women and the men did was smile in content.

Throughout the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, Sue, the amigos and amigas worked as hard as they could to complete some costumes for the Three Amigas. Angel, Cecile, and Kitty got some mannequins that were all the right sizes, and then helped Sue cut, sew, and stitch every last piece of black and white fabric, silver sparkling lace, and other trimmings for the coats, shirts, pants, belts, hats, and boots. At one point, Ned convinced the seamstress, "Sew, Miss Machin! Sew like the wind!" In almost no time at all the last of the stitching was stitched, and the last of the glue was dried upon the sombreros.  
"Oh, they look fabulous!" Angel beamed when she saw the finished products.  
"Mais oui," agreed Cecile, "C'est magnifique!"  
"Are we ready to fight those bandits?" Kitty asked with a determined smirk.  
"YES!" everyone said in unison. So then the amigos left Sue's workshop to give the girls some privacy while changing, and prepared to face El Loco…

Author's Note: The song "When You Believe" (originally sung by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston) is from "The Prince of Egypt". ((c) Dreamworks)


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42 - A Chase Through Hollywood!**

At three o'clock sharp, El Loco and his men rode up to Hollywood's main lot, posing as actors to the guards. "Alright, amigos!" El Loco cried out, "Come out, come out wherever you are! Come out and die!"  
"Not today, El Loco!" shouted Lucky's voice.  
El Loco and his men looked around, but they didn't see anyone around. "Look harder!" Dusty's voice called.  
Miguel and Antonio pulled out their pistols and pointed up in the air. "Where did you all go?" Miguel called out, "Did you just turn invisible and disappear?"  
"Nope!" called Ned's voice, "You just have to have a good close look around!"  
El Loco looked around also, but then he stopped when he saw some familiar outfits – amigo outfits! The trouble was, none of the amigos were wearing the costumes, but the girls were!

Angel's costume was touched by a pattern on her sombrero that resembled angels; Cecile's hat was embroidered with fleur-de-lis; Kitty's sombrero was patterned with sparkling white cat paws. "Well, you mud-slurping pigs," Angel insulted to the bandits, "You pee-drinking dogs, you sons of a motherless goat!"  
El Loco glared at them and snarled, "You think you ladies can stop me?"  
Kitty just announced with pride, "Wherever there is injustice, you will find us! Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there! Whenever liberty is threatened, you will find…"  
"THE THREE AMIGAS!" all the women said in unison before they did the famous salute their male counterparts did.  
"Enough!" El Loco shouted, "You will all die like insects!"  
"No, we will not die like insects!" Cecile shot back, "We will fight like the Beast of Gevaudan!"  
"Let's do this, amigos!" Angel commanded as she clapped her hands in the air. In a matter of seconds, Lucky, Dusty, and Ned came riding towards everyone on horseback, shooting blanks from their pistols in the air.

Each of the amigos held out his hand towards his respective love interest, and the women all climbed on the horses, joining their amigos. Then, the amigos gave the women their guns, and then the women shot at El Loco and his men. When the bandits found out that there weren't any real bullets being shot at them, El Loco turned purple with rage. "COME BACK HERE, AMIGOS!" he shouted as he and his men ran after them. What followed was an immense chase throughout Hollywood. The amigos and amigas rode through a set where a monster movie was being filmed; the man in the monster costume screamed, and the actress who was supposed to be frightened gasped with shock! El Loco and his men then ran through the monster movie set, and Miguel swept the actress in his arms, only to be slapped in the face!

Next, the amigos and amigas were riding through an adventure movie set involving lions and leopards; the live big cats chased after the horses, but then the bandits arrived, and two of lions turned on El Loco, while two leopards chased after Miguel and Antonio. Then, our heroes ran through the set of a romantic drama; the lead actress in that movie begged for Dusty to give her a kiss, but Cecile glared at her. When the bandits arrived, all the people working on the romance movie screamed with shock and anger, ordering El Loco and his men to leave. Eventually, the amigos and amigas came to the edge of a river; Lucky saw a vine as he took Angel in his arms, and they grabbed that vine and swung across the river. When they got to the other side of the river, Lucky tossed the vine over to Dusty and Cecile, who had their turn without incident; after they went across the vine was handed over to Ned and Kitty, who swung across just in time as the bandits were catching up! When they got to the other side of the river, Kitty snapped the vine's stem, and El Loco and his men had no choice but to swim across the river while our heroes got away.

As they ran, the amigos and amigas spotted a log cabin, and decided to hide in it. Inside, they were shocked to see that it was already occupied by an angry grizzly bear! The bear roared, and our heroes ran out of the cabin just as the bandits were catching up; El Loco and his men were on their own facing the angry animal! In the meantime, the amigos and amigas bustled and bumped into many prop people, actors, directors, singers, and others as they tried running for safety in a fancy building! When they finally arrived at the main door to the building, they were horrified to see that El Loco and his men were not far behind! The amigos and amigas burst the door open and ran as fast as they could through the lobby and up a staircase; the bandits immediately followed and desperately tried to find them.

When the amigos and amigas reached the top floor of the building, they were surprised to see that there was a room on fire! People were running for their lives as they escaped the flames, and some tried putting the fire out with the coffee in their mugs! "We have to find some kind of hose!" Ned told his friends, "There could be more people in that room!"  
"What about El Loco?" Kitty asked with fright.  
"So what if El Loco comes and kills us?" Lucky said, "Ned's right. We have to help these people!"  
"What's that over there?" Dusty asked as he pointed to something – an emergency firehose! Quickly, he and Ned ran over and undid the hose; Lucky went over and turned the spigot, making a blast of water come out! Together, the amigos sprayed the flames away until there was no fire left.

El Loco and his men arrived breathlessly to the top floor and saw the amigos and amigas. "Ah-ha!" El Loco yelled, "Now I've got you!" Dusty turned around and sprayed water at El Loco, making him fall over on his back! "Aye-aye-aye!" El Loco screamed, "It's a monsoon!"  
Just then, some security guards arrived, pointing their pistols at everyone! "Hold it right there!" one of them cried, "All of you are under arrest!"  
"NO!" one of the people from the burning room cried, "These people dressed as vaqueros are heroes!"  
Everyone else from the flaming room shouted in agreement, "YEAH!"  
"They're right!" Angel pleaded to the guards, "It's these Mexican bandits you should be after! They tried to kill us, and have been planning it for many days in a row!"  
The security guards slowly put down their pistols and looked at the amigos and amigas. The first guard said, "Alright, let's go down to the main gathering room at the first floor and talk this over one at a time!"


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43 - Justice and a Movie**

Down on the first floor of the building, the amigos, amigas, bandits, security guards, and many people from the destroyed movie sets discussed their points of view of what happened that afternoon. "So you're telling us that these bandits tried to kill you just because you encouraged an entire village to face their 'El Guapo' two years ago?" the lead security guard asked the amigos.  
"Yes," Lucky nodded, "It was El Loco's brother who led an army of evil vaqueros who raided this village regularly. And then El Loco himself wanted revenge on me and my friends!"  
"Please believe us!" Angel pleaded.  
One of the movie directors said, "Amigos, amigas, this story is so unbelievable… that it should be made into a movie!" With that, our protagonists cheered with glee, and the security guards pardoned their arrests; instead, they arrested El Loco and his men.

 **One Year Later**  
One year had passed since the Three Amigos met the Three Amigas and helped them achieve their dreams. During the course of that year, El Loco and his men were found guilty of attempted murder, and all sentenced to life in prison without parole. Angel, Cecile, Kitty, and even Philip the fennec fox were now starring in a movie that was to premiere one special night at a fancy theater in Los Angeles. At the premiere, Lucky, Dusty, and Ned were wearing black and white tuxedos (not the same ones they "borrowed," these were different tuxes), and carried armloads of food to give to some of the guests at the premiere. First, they started with Hector and Margarita from the cantina back in Mexico. Hector was wearing a black and white tuxedo with a red flower buttonaire; Margarita was wearing a red dress with pink trimming underneath a white shirt, a red necklace with matching earrings and a headband, and black and red shoes. "Amigos!" Hector cried with joy, "So good to see you!"  
"Even after that riot in our bar," Margarita muttered under her breath, remembering the riot in their bar that got the amigas fired. But she smiled at the amigos and asked, "What do you have there?"  
Ned picked up two bottles of Coca-Cola and gave them to Hector and Margarita, saying, "These may not be Cokes from Mexico, but they were the best we could find for you."  
"Oh, Ned," Hector chuckled, "These will do just fine!" He got out his bottle opener and undid the caps on the bottles.

On the theater screen, Angel, Cecile, and Kitty were playing three female vaqueros in a silent movie, and they were arriving at a cantina to have a drink. "This scene reminds me of when you three came to our cantina!" Margarita chuckled at the amigos before they walked away.  
Next, the amigos came across the Garcia family who ran the bed and breakfast in San Flores. Socorro was wearing a pink shirt underneath a violet red dress with red trimming, a red ribbon around her waist, pink jewelry, a pink rose in her hair, and black and red shoes. Ricardo was wearing a black and white tuxedo with a gold tie, a golden buttonaire, a black top hat, and black shoes. Lupe was wearing a fancy purple gown with open sleeves, a white feather boa, a pearl necklace, plum-colored shoes, and lavender gloves. Juan was wearing an indigo and white tuxedo with a black tie, a gray vest, a sky blue buttonaire, and black shoes. "Look, it is the Three Amigos!" Socorro softly called to her family.  
"If it isn't the Garcia family!" Dusty exclaimed, "It's so good to see you all here tonight! We got you four kinds of candy – each of you may have one." He then let the family members choose their favorite kinds of candy; Socorro got some strawberry-flavored hard candy, Lupe got some milk chocolate drops that she could easily melt in her mouth, Ricardo got a dark chocolate bar loaded with almonds, and Juan got some milk chocolate tidbits with caramel insides.  
"Look, everyone!" Lupe whispered as she pointed to the screen. Onscreen, the amigas and three actors portraying out-of-work musicians were riding through the desert on horseback, determined to find Hollywood, only to be chased by some bandits.

As the Garcia family waved good-bye to the amigos, Lucky, Dusty, and Ned kept on walking around the theater; they then came across the seamstress Sue N. Machin. She was dressed in a red and white dress with a pink ribbon around her waist, white gloves, red shoes, and a matching choker and earrings; her hair was done in a low bun and crowned with a red headband. "Oh, amigos!" she softly said, "I'm so happy to see you! I had such a fine time designing all the costumes for this movie, you know."  
"I can see that," Lucky said with a grin as he watched the screen. Onscreen, the male actors were dressed in dancing outfits reminiscent of the ones the amigas wore in the talent show back in Yuma. Changing the subject, Lucky said to Sue, "I've got something I think you'll enjoy!" He then picked up a hot dog with lots of mustard and gave it to Sue.  
"Oh my," Sue said with surprise, "I hope I don't get any mustard on my dress!"  
"Not to worry," Lucky assured; he gave the seamstress a cloth towel and placed it on her lap.  
"Thanks," Sue said with a weary smile before the amigos walked away with only a large tub of popcorn left.

Lucky, Dusty, and Ned then made their way to the farthest row of seats in the back of the theater, where they met their amigas. Instead of wearing their signature colors, the amigas all wore different colors; Angel wore a turquoise dress with long, white gloves, a turquoise headband on her hair (which was done in a high bun), sparkling blue earrings with a matching necklace, and light blue shoes. Cecile was wearing an indigo dress with white fingerless gloves, gold earrings, a navy blue headband with a gold star in the center, an indigo choker, and matching shoes. Kitty was wearing a golden dress with yellow trimming, matching shoes, white elbow-length gloves, and gold jewelry; her hair was also tied back in a half-ponytail. "How are you ladies enjoying your adventure?" Lucky asked the amigas as he sat next to Angel.  
"Oh, it's wonderful!" Angel sighed happily, "I love having to watch us relive our adventure – only gender-bent!"  
"Yes," agreed Kitty with a chuckle, "It's funny that we women are playing you guys, and how some other guys are portraying us!"  
"Oui!" laughed Cecile, "But the best part is enjoying it with you three!"  
Philip appeared, jumped into Dusty's arms, and licked his face. "I can see that Philip really enjoys seeing himself in this movie, too!" Angel giggled. Onscreen, Philip starred as himself, and was cuddling next to one of the male actors, who was getting ready to tell a flashback about the evil Adele Morrison. In the theater, everyone settled down and enjoyed the rest of the movie.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44 - A Reunion, Payback, And a New Beginning**

When the movie ended later that night, the amigos escorted their amigas out of the cinema, only to run into another surprise! An old man in a tuxedo while sitting in a wheelchair was staring at Cecile with a surprised gaze. "C-Cecile?" he stammered in a French accent.  
Cecile immediately recognized the man as her father, Marcel. "Papa!" she cried with excitement; she ran over to her father and gave him a tight hug. In the process, both the father and the daughter shed tears of happiness. "How did you find me?" Cecile asked breathlessly as she cried happy tears.  
"I saw your note that you mailed me," Marcel answered as he wiped a tear from his daughter's cheek, "And when you mentioned your mother, I cried non-stop!"  
Cecile's expression became sad as she asked, "What happened to Mama?"  
Marcel hung his head low and answered, "I am afraid that one year after you went missing, your mama became ill with pneumonia, and…" He couldn't continue, because he began crying tears of sadness.  
Cecile also started crying, and Dusty told his friends, "Come. I think we should leave them alone for a few minutes." So everyone walked away and let the father and daughter cry over the loss of Genevieve DuBois, Cecile's mother.

When they reached a corner connecting two walls, the amigos and amigas clearly understood the purpose of Cecile's father coming. "In our first night of arriving in Los Angeles," Angel said, "Cecile was writing a note to her parents. I think Dusty must've helped her see the light, so she got the courage to make contact with her folks again."  
"I think you're right," Dusty said with a small, sad smile. He shed a tear, but then he cleared his throat and continued, "I'll admit that I kinda did help Cecile – no wonder why she liked me from the start!"  
Everyone chuckled until Lucky said, "Do you think we should check on them?" He meant that everyone should see if Cecile and her father were doing okay.  
"I don't see why not," Kitty said, "Hopefully, they're done with crying tears of sadness and continuing crying tears of joy."  
So the amigos and amigas went back to see if Cecile and her father were okay. Sure enough, Marcel and his daughter were back to crying tears of joy; all was forgiven, and things were going to work out. Marcel then told everyone that after he had received Cecile's letter of apology in the mail, he knew he had to make his way towards Los Angeles, but he had to work extra hard to pay off travel expenses. "It took nearly a year, but I managed!" Marcel said, "After I injured my back in a farming accident, I took up a job at a local bank in Indianapolis. There, I discovered that city life was not as bad as I thought – Cecile was right, for urban life can be good, too!"  
Cecile just grinned and shrugged, "Oh, Papa!"  
Angel started speaking to Marcel, "Um, Mister…"  
"Just call me Marcel!" the French man insisted, "What is it you'd like to ask?"  
"Marcel, we were wondering if you had anywhere to stay," Angel stated, "If you didn't, then you'd be more than welcome to stay at our Amigo Mansion on the outskirts of Los Angeles!"  
Since they became stars, the amigos and amigas were able to earn enough money to pay for a large house to reside in. Even though it wasn't totally grand, they called their new home "Amigo Mansion." Marcel thought about Angel's offer and said, "Merci, mademoiselle, but I am afraid I have a home in Indiana to go back to soon."  
"We understand, Papa," Cecile said as she embraced her father, "But I promise I will always keep in touch with you. In the meantime, there are people who want to interview us. Do you mind?"  
"Not at all, my little movie star!" Marcel beamed. With that, he gave his daughter one last smile and rode away in his wheelchair.

After countless interviews that night, the amigos and amigas were ready to head home. Once they exited the theater to find their horses, though, they encountered yet another familiar face! This time, it was a rather mean one. "Well, well, well!" said the mean female voice, "If it isn't those troublemakers from the shelter!" Everyone turned and saw that this was none other than Adele Morrison, the owner of the women's shelter; she was dressed in a purple and white dress, lavender gloves, a purple choker, and high heels. She also had her hair done in a high bun with a lavender rose to crown it. "I saw this movie tonight," she explained, "And I despise the way you had me portrayed!"  
"Well, don't blame us!" Angel scoffed as she folded her arms, "Blame it on the director and producer!"  
"Either way, you're all a bunch of jerks!" Adele shot at them, "Especially after that lemon bar incident when I got sick from eating something made out of a certain bodily fluid!"  
Lucky, Dusty, and Ned laughed before Lucky offered casually, "In that case, would you like to take a ride on my horse?"  
"Lucky, what are you doing?" Angel asked with worry.  
"Trust me!" Lucky said with a wink. He then led Adele to his horse, and helped her mount. Unfortunately, the horse rejected the cold-hearted woman, reared up, and made her slide off into a mud puddle!  
Adele screamed as she got up from the mess, and then the amigos and amigas all came to their horses. "Let's go, amigos and amigas!" Lucky announced; everyone mounted their horses, and then rode off to the direction of their new home.  
Adele, on the other hand, was left muddy and messy as she screamed out, "SCREW YOU, AMIGOS AND AMIGAS! YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!"  
Our heroes didn't hear her, though; they were busy riding off to the "Amigo Mansion."

On the outside, the "Amigo Mansion" resembled just about any other upper-middle class suburban house – it had dark brown paint on the sides, white trimming on the windows, red doors, and a black roof with white trimming. Inside, there were cream-colored walls, mahogany wood flooring, fancy rugs, nice furniture, and a grand staircase; the house also had a spiffy kitchen, a nice dining room, a large living room, six bedrooms, two bathrooms with running water, and a doorway which led to the horses' stables outside. When the amigos and amigas arrived at their home, everyone dismounted, and the men held their respective women by the hands as they walked them to the front door. "Well, Lucky," Angel sighed happily, "We've been through a lot together, and I feel like this is a perfect happy ending for our journey into Hollywood."  
"No," Lucky said with a smile, "It's actually a perfect happy… beginning."  
"Oh, I see," Angel said. Then she started singing:

 _We were strangers, starting off on a journey_  
 _Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_  
 _Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing_  
 _At the beginning with you!_

Lucky opened the door and led Angel into the house as he started singing:

 _No one told me I was going to find you_  
 _Unexpected what you did to my heart!_

When everyone was inside, Lucky held Angel's hands and brought her close to his chest as they sang together:

 _When I lost hope, you were there to remind me_  
 _This is the start!_

Dusty and Cecile admired the romantic moment between the couple, and then decided that they should sing along, too.

 **Dusty and Cecile:** _And life is a road, and I wanna keep going_  
 _Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
 _Life is a road, now and forever, a wonderful journey!_  
 _I'll be there when the world stops turning_  
 _I'll be there when the storm is through_  
 _In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you!_

Ned and Kitty were also bitten by the singing and dancing bugs, and so they decided to join their friends, too! As everyone danced in the vestibule and the living room, Kitty began to sing:

 _We were strangers on a crazy adventure!_  
 **Ned:** _Never dreaming how our dreams would come true!_  
 **Both:** _Now here we stand, unafraid of the future_  
 _At the beginning with you!_  
 **Angel and Lucky:** _And life is a road, and I wanna keep going_  
 _Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
 _Life is a road, now and forever, a wonderful journey!_  
 _I'll be there when the world stops turning_  
 _I'll be there when the storm is through_  
 _In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you!_

Dusty turned a few lights down on low, and everyone kept on dancing while all singing together:

 _Knew there was somebody somewhere_  
 _Like me alone in the dark_  
 _Now I know my dream will live on_  
 _I've been waiting so long_  
 _Nothing's gonna tear us apart!_  
 _And life is a road, and I wanna keep going_  
 _Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
 _Life is a road, now and forever, a wonderful journey!_  
 _In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you!_  
 _Life is a road, and I wanna keep going_  
 _Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing on!_  
 _(Starting out on a journey)_  
 _Life is a road, and I wanna keep going_  
 _Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
 _In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning_  
 _With you!_

When they finished dancing, the amigos and amigas decided that it was time to go to bed. Before they turned in, Lucky and Angel spent a few minutes in the living room. "Angel," Lucky said as he got down on his bended knee, "For this past year, we've had our ups and downs, and we've had our adventures. So tonight, I'm asking you…" He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little box; Lucky opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond ring and asked, "Will you marry me?"  
Angel's eyes became big with amazement and happiness as she softly said, "Oh, Lucky… Of course I will!" She shed tears of happiness as she embraced Lucky and kissed him on the cheek. Lucky and Angel then regained themselves and shared a passionate kiss before going off to their separate bedrooms, hopeful and happy about what the future would bring them.

 **THE END**

Author's Note: The song "At the Beginning" is from Don Bluth's Anastasia ((c) Fox)


End file.
